Riding

Writers: Eimi, Yvonne
Date Posted: 4th May 2006

Characters: K'far, Firsa
Description: K'far manages to get Firsa to go riding with him
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 11 of Turn 3

M1 d6 Turn 2 Maparlin was working late again, so I spent all day today after my shift in the laundry waiting for him. I'd planned a nice dinner -
fresh flowers, bread, cheese, cold meats, wine... I wore my blue dress. He likes blue. And then I waited and waited. I imagined my little baby doing flips in my stomach, slow flips like a dolphin in the water. I even sewed up his shirt. But he didn't come. And then it got dark and he came back and was so tired. He kissed me and we ate my picnic but it was ruined anyways. I started crying and I thought he didn't notice, but he did. He kissed me and held me close and I forgot about being lonely and he says we'll go out for a picnic tomorrow. That's why I love him. He can make everything good again.

~*~

"There there, stop complaining," Firsa said, patting Rainy's neck as the mare reluctantly accepted her bit. "It's not going to kill you."
Rainy gave her an evil look and Firsa took her reins and started leading her out of the stables. She wanted to ride out into the 'food' pens to check on the pregnant mares and newborn foals there, and to see if there were any that she wanted to bring in from the general herds. And check for orphans. Most dragons were pretty good about not choosing mothers to eat, but sometimes they got... sloppy and foals were left alone. K'far was leaning against the stable door as she walked the grey mare out. "So, were you up all night foaling? Are you heading out on official secret stablemaster business? Are you going to admonish runner chewing dragons? Or do you think I could join you on a ride today?"

"That depends on whether or not you can keep up." Firsa reined Rainy to a halt and peered over the saddle at the dragonrider. "I'm working, so if you come along, don't expect a pleasure ride."

"I'm not _that_ bad, stablemaster," K'far chuckled. "Just let me get Leaf."

"Have Vernault saddle him for you." The Stablemaster suppressed a sigh and gave Rainy's neck a pat as K'far disappeared into the depths of the stables after his mount. "Shards and shells," she muttered to the runner, "what am I doing?" Rainy flicked an ear in reply, but Firsa didn't find it terribly helpful. He might have killed a woman, and yet she was riding out alone with him into the dragon's pens.
Although if he tried anything, he'd find out that she wasn't exactly some helpless, flailing, screaming ninny, either. The only thing he did was... confuse her.

The clop-clop of Leaf's iron-clad hooves on the stone floor heralded the brownrider in question's return. Firsa gave her runner a final pat before vaulting into the saddle to wait for him. "You ready?"

"Yes ma'am," K'far grinned as he did his best to make a manly leap into the saddle. It almost worked except he stepped up a little too exuberantly and nearly catapulted himself off the other side. He made a lucky grab for the saddle horn and was able to stabilize himself. "Huh. I guess Leaf isn't as tall as Torth," he chuckled, a slight blush creeping up his face.

Firsa bit back a smile. "Good thing," she said dryly, and turned Rainy's head toward the path, nudging the mare into a trot. "We'll be going into the dragon pens to check on the mares who haven't dropped their foals yet. And to check for orphans. Keep your eyes peeled."

"For dragons? Or for orphans?" he asked as Leaf fell into step alongside Rainy.

"For both. If a dragon flies too close to the runners, they'll panic." She suddenly frowned and gave K'far a worried look. "Could you handle yourself if Leaf bolted? How is your seat?" "Well, I've never had any complaints about my seat," he said trying to keep his face straight. "I think I could handle it. I don't know. I've never had a runner bolt on me yet. But there's a first time for everything."

"Are you sure that you want to come?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," he nodded, reaching down to pat the runner's neck affectionately. "Leaf would be sad to be all saddled up with no where to go."

Firsa smiled slightly at the gesture. "Just promise me something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Don't break your neck."

K'far chuckled as he turned his head to look at her. "If Leaf bolts, I promise, that will be the foremost thought in my mind."

Firsa wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, but she held her tongue. It would be a good test of K'far's riding abilities. His seat _looked_ all right, but then again, he said he'd fallen off the night that Nineba had apparently disappeared. They rode in silence for a while, and the Stablemaster eventually began to relax in spite of herself. The day was warm, the branches above them greening because of spring's gentle heat. The food pen, as she liked to call it, appeared before them, and Firsa looked over at K'far. "The gate is just around the corner. I'm going to jump the fence."

"Hmmm. Is this a challenge?" he asked as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Firsa grinned. "No. Leaf can't jump that high, and I'll thank you not to try him."

"Then how can I impress you with my manliness?" he asked with a teasing wiggle of his eyebrows.

"By being man enough to accept your limitations," she shot back, and kneed Rainy into a fast canter. The fence loomed ahead and she began counting hoofbeats as the mare gathered herself for the jump. Her ears shot forward and her muscles bunched beneath her and suddenly they were airborn - and landed all too soon. Firsa grinned into the wind and turned Rainy toward the gate. Her hair streamed out behind her as she patted the grey on the neck and looked behind at K'far.

He gave her a wave as he trotted towards the gate. Much as he had grown fond of Leaf, he wished he could have traded him in for a handsome stallion just for one jump. }:Why do you need a jumping runner? I can _fly_,:{ Torth reminded him indignantly.

The Stablemaster waited patiently by the gate for K'far, and once he'd joined her on the inside of the pasture, turned her runner's nose away from the cliff face. The feeding paddock was gigantic, and several herds of runners and herdbeasts roamed freely through small groves of trees and open spaces. "Keep your eyes open for dragons and runners. There are twelve herds of mares and stallions, and six bachelor herds. The herdbeasts I don't care about."

"About how many of them are there?" K'far asked curiously as he looked around the enclosure at all the beasts surrounding them.

"There's approximately two hundred runners in total, counting the yearlings but excluding the foals. Dragons eat about a sixth of the population in a turn, but we get new animals to release in the tithe trains to keep the population stable."

"And you have charge of the runner and herdbeasts? Or just runners?"

"Just the runners, and only the stables. I work in tandem with the Masters who care for the dragon food." She frowned, looking away from him. "And I care for the orphans until they're old enough to be released, and deal with the injured."

"Can't some of the orphans be trained as draft animals? Or riding runners?"

"Some of them can. Rainy was." Firsa patted her runner's neck. "But there isn't enough demand for runners at the Weyr to justify supporting all of them."

K'far nodded. "That is true. The dragons can make runners...
unnecessary for every day living at the Weyr."

She shrugged. "Yes and no. Dragons won't haul wood for the kitchens, or plough the fields." Not all of the fields had been abandoned when Thread returned, although the Weyr was far from self sufficient.
"They turn the mill when there's no wind, haul carcasses to the kitchens, and can help break trails when we're snowed in. And I certainly couldn't ride a dragon out to check on the feed stock, nor could I do it as quickly on foot." The feed stock pens were huge, and the animals in them roamed semi-wild.

"Oh, I'm not saying their obsolete by any stretch of the imagination," K'far corrected himself. "But we don't need nearly as many as you would at say a Hold or Hall."

"No."

"Have you ever worked with any racing breeds?" he asked curisouly. K'far had been to a few Gathers where there had been runner races, and he found it to be quite exciting. He had lost many a mark on them, but didn't seem to mind. The excitement of the moment was well worth it.

"Not so much. Coursers, yes." She leaned forward to pat Rainy's neck, and the mare shook her head. "I'm too heavy to be a jockey, and coursing requires more skill anyway."

"Well, I've been thinking with my svelte body and slight build, I might like to try my hand at jockeying," the brownrider said with a wry smile.

Firsa grinned wryly. "Don't trade in your dragon just yet."

K'far shrugged. "I think that would be difficult. He's grown somewhat attached to me."

"What's his name, anyway?" She'd only ever seen him at the stables, or in the dining hall. The Stablemaster realized she'd never seen his dragon at all.

"Torth," he replied with deep affection in his voice. "He's not the fastest brown on Pern, but he's big and strong, and I think the most handsome creature I've ever laid eyes on."

Firsa hid a smile; all dragonriders talked like that. And to think...
she might have been one of them. It might not have been that bad...
"I'm sure he is."

"You can pick him out easily too. He's a rather distinct color for a brown. His color's so deep and rich, he almost looks black. I'd lose him in my Weyr with the glows turned down if it weren't for his whirling eyes."

"He sounds easy to spot. I'll have to keep my eyes out for him."

"Do you get much chance to ride dragons, Firsa?" K'far asked curiously.

She shook her head. It was more that she had no _desire_ to ride dragons than that she lacked the opportunity. Weyrs were full of opportunities.

"Well, I think its only fair that since you are so nice to let me ride one of your runners, I should take you for a ride on Torth. What do you say?"

"Umm... perhaps." Shard it! She glanced sideways at him, but quickly looked away when their eyes met. Somehow she couldn't force the words, 'I'm afraid of flying' past her lips. "It _is_ foaling season right now."

"Well, I'm sure even _you_ get a restday. And aren't there other beastcafters at this Weyr who can assist? I'm sure we could be called back if you're needed..." He gave her as persuasive a smile as he could manage.

"Well, let's see what happens next restday and we can go from there."
Hopefully that would give her enough wiggle room to get out of the engagement without _completely_ crushing the brownrider. As much as she hated to admit it, his company was growing on her. **And it's _not_ because he looks like Daremek!**

Last updated on the May 4th 2006

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