Jingle All The Way

[Minajerie]

It was a nice breeze that blew in from the sea, it smelled so wonderful. It was accompanied by the rhythmic jingling of Larthy's harness and saddle. Peranami had painstakingly sewn it special. She loved being heard, and the tiny bells she had worked all over made their journeys sweet. Even the slightly heavier clinking sound from Larthy's bangles made her smile. She liked this place- something that hadn't really happened in all her 19 turns of life.

As they neared the hold she couldn't help but let out some pent up laughter... and then her energy came rushing to the front. 'Play with me', the energy said. 'Show them what we can do, show off while having fun. Lets play!'

Of course, Peranami didn't need any coaxing. "Clang clang!" She poke her secret words for Larthy to start dancing, and the hearty built runner switched stride from a ground eating trot to a slower- though, not too slow anymore- pace, which he bounced a bit with each step, throwing ALL the bells and bangles into joyous ringing.

Peranami laughed again and flipped herself out of the saddle and onto her hands, her favorite pose in the saddle- a simple handstand. Of course, that wasn't enough for her energy level, oh no. She took one hand off, carefully balancing on the moving beast with one hand, and then she pushed herself off into a flip, landing after a little twirl on the runners rump. She turned and faced the way Larthy was going and then faked a loss of footing, and then smiled as she caught herself with her hands, her body bent in an odd L, with her hands supporting her torso at an almost straight angle, and her legs straight out from that at almost a 90 degree angle out over empty ground. She easily pulled her legs over herself and then, with ease, placed herself back in the saddle and let out another bout of laughter.

[Akki]

Viktu laid one the ground, eyes open as he stared at the clouds. Not that he was really seeing them – he happened to be caught up in his thoughts. He was excited about the news Fyg gave him but he was also quite nervous about it. Wasn’t this too soon? What if he messed up somehow? None of his fellow cooks had known about the news, if Perina were still alive he would have definitely told her.

It was odd. He had so much he wanted to tell his best friend and yet he would never see her again; never hear her laugh or her scolding him for burning the food. It was something he hated to think about but it continued to lurk within his mind.

His eyes slid back into focus when the soft ringing of bells reached his ears. He blinked a few times and then used his elbows to push his top half off of the ground so he could take a look. Viktu sure wasn’t expecting to see a runner bedazzled in bells and trinkets with a girl doing a handstand and other various tricks while perched on the animals back. Well this was an interesting sight to see. He clapped his hands loudly as the girl fell back into the saddle, wanting to applaud her even if she might not be able to hear, or see, him.

[Minajerie]

She could hear it! It was faint, but it was definitely applause from some person who had seen her. Peranami smiled and glanced around. The dense grass hiding her audience well.

Peranami sat down firmer in her saddle, making Larthy stop. The jingle of the bells from his movements slowly died and the sweet chimes range minutely from the shifting animal. What was left was the sound of the wind through the grass, blowing with a soft 'Shhhhhh'. Peranami squinted her eyes and looked out over the land.

"Hello? Is somebody there, or am I hearing things again?"

[Akki]

Viktu blinked for a few seconds when the voice called out. Was the woman blind? Was that why she couldn’t see him?

Of course then it dawned on him that he happened to be lying in rather high grass. Not just high, but thick too. If this was a game of hide and seek then he would have won. But this wasn’t a game so he propped himself up on his elbows so his head peered over the foliage. The wind blew his hair into his face and he quickly tightened the cloth around his head, trying to remove the strands from his mouth. “I hope you’re not hearing things. If you are then I might take back my applause.” Viktu beamed as he shifted his body and stood up, pausing for only a second so he could brush the dirt off of his knees.

“I’ve never seen you before. New?”

It was nice to know that a few newcomers were still trickling in despite the fact there was a murderer on the loose at the moment. First that Ejinic fellow and now this lass!

[Minajerie]

When the man shifted from the grass, Peranami let a big grin cross her face. There was someone out there! She knew she wasn't going crazy. "Then I'm not hearing things, for applause should never be taken back, but given with great gusto!"

Her energetic reply had Larthy shifting his feet, sending the bells that were sewed to the saddle to once again ring clear. Peranami reached out and gave the runnerbeast a good pat on his neck, reassuring the creature, as well as showing her fondness for him. She gave him another swift pat, then swung elegantly out of Larthy's saddle. She brushed a little bit of dust from her pants and stood up straight.

"I've never seen you before, either! But it is very nice to meet you, I'm Peranami!"

[Akki]

Viktu gave a hearty laughed and clapped his hands together. “I like your answer! Because of that I won’t take back my applause.” He grinned.

He watched as Peranami leapt off of the beast and smiled slightly. The girl definitely seemed to be filled with energy! As if that wasn’t obvious. “I’m Viktu, a cook here.” He introduced himself with a wave and a nod.

He glanced behind the girl, staring at the runnerbeast behind her. “I’m guessing he…she?... is yours then?” He nodded towards the creature. Viktu always felt slightly nervous around animals – he found them hard to predict. Plus he always felt like they knew that he spent his days making some relative of theirs into a delicious meal.

These were irrational fears, but fears nonetheless. Viktu didn’t want any runnerbeast or anything like that taking off his kneecaps in a fit of rage.

[Minajerie]

Peranami laughed. "Well, good then! I like it when I get answers correct!"

She beamed at the man. When he asked if Larthy was hers, a smaller chuckle escaped her. "Of course he's mine. I even bought him myself with some of my earnings! I had to hand pick him too. You need lithe limbs in a runnerbeast if you want him to dance. And a good feel of intelligence and grace. I picked out his predecessor too... though I didn't buy her, I was still to young to earn much back then."

Peranami shrugged as she remembered Fusha and all the fun times they had before she got too old and was retired from the dancing field. Luckily, Larthy still had a good few years to go before that would happen again.

[Akki]

Now this was an odd concept to Viktu.

He didn’t look at animals and wonder I wonder if they’re good runners. How high can they jump? Are those limbs lithe enough?. He looked and them and thought of how many people that beast could feed and what spices should go with it.

“Faranth. I’m a horrible person.” Viktu announced out loud, blinking in surprise. He didn’t admire animals, he thought about what recipe could go with them! He was a sick, sick cook.

You’d have to make a fair bit of earnings to buy a runner. Viktu could probably buy one right now actually but that was only because he never spent his money. He spent every moment in the kitchens, not out looking for things to buy. Other people (Who actually had a life) would probably struggle to raise that much. “Can I ask what you do?” There was genuine curiosity in his voice.

[Minajerie]

Peranami gave Viktu a curious glance. Did he just announce he was a horrible person? "You don't seem that horrible to me. After all, you clap in appreciation of a good performance. Believe it or not, not everybody does." She shrugged.

A wide smile split her face. "I'm an entertainer. I was part of a traveling group, to be more precise. I've been performing since I was little. Been earning wages for the past several terns. The troop splits the earning fairly evenly, but the artists who drag in the most audience always get a bonus in appreciation. The past three terns of so, I've gotten to be popular." Again she gave a small shrug. It was a fun thing, performing. It made her spirit soar and her heart race. It brought smiles to the faces of the people who watched her. Being well liked was easy when you loved what you did.

[Akki]

“I would have thrown something but I’m afraid the only thing around me is grass and that won’t go very far.” Viktu grinned. Of course he wouldn’t actually throw something but still, he could pretend. His smile faltered for a minute as he realized that Peranami’s name reminded him of Perina. She definitely seemed to be easy going and free spirited like his old friend…it was like Peranami came to fill the void that the drudge had left behind.

“That must be an exciting thing.” A life of entertaining! He could only imagine it. Then again, he had no complaints about his life. She brought smiles by performing and he brought smiles by making delicious dishes for the Hold.

“May I ask what you’re doing here? This hardly seems like the place for someone like you.” It was the truth. Most people here were cooks and drudges, people worn down by slaving in hot kitchens or slaving over messy areas. This lass seemed all about having fun! “Don’t tell me you have a feller here.”