Gather Festivities

[Wolf]

"Too many voices!" Tieler complained, "Every one just shut up and talk one at a time..." She shot a death glare at Sh'rel, not caring at this moment that had given her bread and water; she hated being teased about anything. She sighed while thinking over Akki's explanation. It was quite an embarrassing situation; she hoped that the Bluerider wouldn't hold it over her head. "Well, what can I say? I go for the enticing ones," she said sarcastically. While she believed the first bit she didn't at all believe what Akki had said about her hair. She closed her eyes over and took in a deep breath, then let it out with an irritated look on her face when her eyes reopened. "Some one is going to come over and take these braids out... Now!" she screamed. "Oh, and if you shout back at me Akki then I'll start braiding your own hair like you did mine-and I can't do braids so it'd be far more amusing." Tieler wasn't stupid; the unbelievable story that Akki came up with had automatically led her to believe that the girl was at fault. A part of her knew that she should be thanking Akki but she was holding off from doing so simply because she couldn't remember the last time when she'd bothered to sincerely thank some one.

She raised an eyebrow at Marletta, "Well... Its so great of you to share that with us, I never would've even thought to be able to conclude that myself-of course I'm awake!" she yelled mockingly. "As for how I'm feeling, isn't it obvious enough?" She muttered something about senselessness in people these days and turned back to Akki, whose blond head of hair from behind was all she saw of her. "And thanks," she managed to mumble. She hoped no one had heard, and if they had she'd say it was the alcohol that was making her even think of coming close to giving an apology. She was in such a large group of people, and most of them (other then Raska) were not at all the kind of people she'd normally think of ever hanging around. She'd noticed the fact that Akki was different in a good way and right from the get go had been both kind and helpful. As for Sh'rel, he was a nice enough Brownrider she supposed... All she could remember thus far about Marletta was being irritated with her. She knew she probably resented the girl because she acted so innocent. For the most part Tieler knew she-as in herself-was mean, and didn't bother to do anything to change it. Too much for one day.
~~~

He really has a love for dragons, just like me. R'xis thought. He then said enthusiastically: "Any one really can try for a Firelizard impression if they manage to get a hold of an egg. As for your not impressing, I wouldn't be too worried about that. What dragon would reject you? Your partner could soon be on the sands, just waiting for you to show up some day soon." He kept on walking, kicking at the dirt beneath his feet while listening politely to Rhiyo as he spoke up again. A blush coloured R'xis's face and he kept his head down, feeling his entire face heat up with embarrassment. "Yeah," he coughed, "pretty... Thank you." He was beginning to panic, remembering that Rhiyo had brought up the mention of Ersith on the day they'd met too. He wasn't sure that Rhiyo would fully understand why he hadn't told any one other then Akki and his sister about Ersith's gender. He didn't want his friend to think him shallow, of course how more severely disappointed would he be that R’xis hadn’t told him if and when he found out later on when Ersith had her Flight? R'xis tried to gather his thoughts about how to word what he was about to say, thankful for the distraction of the runners to welcomingly change the subject.

"I'm thinking that Here Comes Trouble Too will win," he laughed, "just because of his name. I like betting on the horses who are the most unique, either due to their name or appearance." He looked over at Rhiyo and instead of a grin or a smile he frowned. "Rhiyo, there's something I think I should probably tell you," he sighed, kicking at the dirt beneath his feet some more now that they'd come to a complete stop. "I'm not sure how you'll take it... Don't worry though, it has nothing to do with you." He didn't want Rhiyo getting the wrong idea that maybe he'd done something wrong again.
~~~

"Yes, it would be stupid wouldn't it?" was all that she came up with in response before walking off to find Kaiya at his side, enjoying his contact-although attempting to push all other thoughts to the closets of her mind. "It'd be a shame to miss the race then, and that's exactly why we're going to see it," she grinned. "That and I love horses," she added with a chuckle. She kept at a brisk speed, not wanting Kaiya to disappear among the crowd of people with no chance of them being able to find her. She hoped that Riler was happier now and could respect the fact that she was trying to move past any emotional inkling that she felt. Its not me, and I need to be me right now more then anything, she told herself. When Riler hugged her tighter she blushed uncontrollably, biting her lip right when he stepped away from her to address Kaiya. She was soon at his side again, but of course there were space in-between they this time. She smiled warmly at Kaiya, hoping that she would look over at her and see that everything was now fine, in some ways at least. She looked from Riler to Kaiya, bouncing up and down where she stood, clearly excited. "Horses, horses..." she said, making a clicking sound while she motioned to where every one else was gathering around.

She too wanted to try and hold off saying anything to Kaiya about what had just happened. There wasn't any real sense in rehashing what was already said and done. She wanted to keep her thoughts elsewhere for as long as possible and just enjoy the fact that she was with two friends that cared about her. "I'd love to ride one of those runners myself, going a lot slower of course." She shrugged her shoulders before displaying a sheepish look. "I haven't really been on a runner too many times so I doubt I'd be any good at riding." She loved animals of all sorts, though dragons definitely took the top shelf for her. Serinth never ceased to amaze her and she found tiny flitts to be the most adorable little creatures she'd ever laid eyes up on. She’d always hoped and prayed while growing up that her life course would have something to do with dragons.

[Sparrow]

Sh’rel felt sorry for Akki since her ears were so close to Tieler’s loud mouth, once again he was glad he was not carrying the girl. When he saw Tieler glare at him he simply smiled back. He raised an eyebrow as the girl came to the conclusion of who did her hair. “You have yourself a little sleuth there Akki, nothing gets by her.”

The Brownrider raised his hands, “I’m not going to mess with your hair, the hair stylist might not like that. I can, however, get you a glass of water if you so desire, Tieler.” They had already gone well past the drinking tent but it would not be hard to find the group again, especially if Tieler and her shockingly red hair, remained with them.

----
“I would take the braids out of your hair but you just went and yelled at me so… I think they should stay in.” Marletta said with a nod. The girl had gained a little bit more confidence talking to Tieler. Partly because of the glass of wine she had had, she was rather a lightweight and had been drinking on an empty stomach after all. And partly because Tieler was currently restrained by Akki.

“And I was just commenting that you were awake, just to make sure you knew you were awake, and not in a bad dream or something.” She paused brushing loose strands of hair behind her ear, “Though, perhaps you could be in a bad dream, I mean who would seriously do that,” she said pointing at the red-head’s hair, “to someone while they’re passed out.”

[Akki]

Akki rolled her eyes, “Tieler, out of all of our voices you’re still being the loudest.” She wondered if her ears were bleeding from the endless shouts they had just received. Would she go deaf? She was rather fond of her hearing. “If you scream one more time Tieler, I swear I will shove my hand down your throat and rip out your tongue.” The blue rider warned ominously. “Ehh? How do you know it wasn’t Sh’rel braiding your hair? I don’t think I would braid your hair, after all you are in love with me and I wouldn’t want to lose that.” The girl said with a grin, of course she wasn’t going to just drop the situation that had happened beforehand. That just simply wasn’t who she was. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t surprised by the word of gratitude from Tieler. She wasn’t expecting it, so far of non-drunk Tieler she had only seen the girl try to pick fights with others. “No problem. We couldn’t leave you back there; you probably would have been stepped on.”

Akki let out a rather deep and long sigh at Sh’rel’s observation. “Unfortunately she is a good sleuth. And that was such a good story too. I mean, it wasn’t the best but it was pretty good since I just made it up on the spot. You should hear some of my other stories.”. Akki stuck out her tongue at Tieler even though she was quite aware that chances were the red head would not see it. “I can’t exactly undo your hair right now. My hands are full with…well, full with you to be exact.” The blue rider snickered at Marletta, the girl was no longer taking things from Tieler and she was glad to see that. “If you were more polite, the braids would have been gone by now.” She said to Tieler with a nod as they reached the runners.

[Spirithawk]

"Usually the ones who were Candidates with me will unbend enough to call me Christae unless we have an audience but you are right, my name is seldom used." She smiled."Lightfoot is a good bet. I was planning on slipping off to the lines to take a closer look at the runners." She grinned mischeviously. "I simply must see how the holders who support Dark Moon are faring. I believe that the Lady of Kalenre Hold has just had a new babe." She winked. "Perhaps you would like a closer look at Lightfoot? Personally I bet on Caspian Hold's Tempest, mostly because I have seen that stallion run."

[kestrel]

Raska snorted derisively at Sh'rel's comment, and then said cooly, "aren't you just a perfect little know-it-all? Obviously you can't tell a winner from a loser-well, I suppose we never accept our lots in life, now do we?" She grinned lopsidedly at Akki, and then added, "well, we'll just see who wins. I'm going to place a bet on 'Here Comes Trouble Too', along with my other." She looked smugly at Sh'rel, and then over back at Tieler and Akki, trying to keep on a straight face while Akki began her response to Tieler. Well, whatever the case, the bluerider had a sense of humor, so, she said without even batting an eye, "yes, I can vouch for that. I would have stopped him but he did it so quickly and ran right off afterwards-all I could do was sit and stare in the direction he'd gone off in." She even managed a serene nod and a mildly irate look, as if she was rather upset he'd gotten away from her. When Marletta said she'd bet on Tempest, Raska pondered then who her second bet would be. Well, there were a lot of contenders there. She'd never even seen them before, and so she could only look and try to make a fair estimate. She didn't know too much about runners, but more, she figured, than anyone here might have. So, she fingered her marks in her pocket, and then finally said, "well, my second bet will go on Sunscrape. Looks like he's built well enough, so I believe he stands a fair chance." She shrugged, then added, "he would have been my bet if I weren't so set on backing you up, Akki, with 'Here Comes Trouble Too'." She didn't mind betting on two runners-and 'Here Comes Trouble Too' looked to be a fairly decent bet as well, insofar as she was concerned.

When Tieler spoke up again, Raska winced and took a step back, for the girl had startled her feline into giving a hiss and flattening his ears, and so she said cooly, "if you're going to continue yelling like that, I'll take those braids out all right-and the rest of your hair with it! You are yelling louder than any of us, and frankly I'm not sure how you even manage to do so seeing as how you're complaining how loud we are. Your head, ringing as it ought to be, should probably like it much if you stopped yelling-as would we all." She then nodded in agreement with Sh'rel and said with a sly smirk, "I'm not going to take them out either. Since Akki loves you so much, perhaps she would do so, but I doubt she'd want to do that if you keep yelling in her ear the way you have been." She nodded solemnly, and then looked in surprise as Akki threatened to rip Tieler's tongue out. Well, this girl was just full of surprises! She grinned broadly and then said in a mock-shocked voice, "why Akki, I didn't know you had it in you!" She then looked to Tieler, and agreed, "trust me, I do not think you want Akki to put you down in your state. You would end up on your posterior, and while it's no skin off my nose whether you do or not, I should think if it were me I'd prefer to stay where I was." She almost felt sorry for the girl-almost. Therefore, uncharacteristically, she said offhandedly, "do you need something to eat, or perhaps I'll even consider taking out those braids if you promise not to yell in my ear while I do so-I could do it when we sit down for the races..." She trailed off, not bothering to look Tieler in the eye, not quite sure why she'd offered to do it in the first place-perhaps because if it had been her, she'd have been mollified and angry about the situation too. Mind the fact that she would never get drunk the way Tieler had, putting herself in a position where such a thing could be done, but nonetheless...

~~~~~~

Kestrel admitted quietly, "I came from a seaside hold, I came here after I was searched." She didn't offer much more information than that-she'd not even really talked about her past with Hasima. She liked that Hasima had never asked, unsure if the girl could sense it was something she didn't like to talk about, or if Hasima just never thought to. Well, in either case, it was comforting to know that she could bring it up if she was ready, and not pressured into mentioning anything before. She looked over at Hasima-this K'tan was rather flattering with his words, and seemed nice enough, but she was surprised to find herself feeling protective over her friend. She wasn't glowering at the bluerider or anything, but she was eying him speculatively, as if trying to discern something or other. When Hasima spoke up again, she listened to her friend, feeling a twinge of pity for her. Hasima had less self confidence than anyone she'd ever met in her life. She guessed that Hasima would not have the confidence to even try to see if she was good at those things or no. The girl seemed to think she would fail no matter if she'd ever even tried or no. Sometimes Kestrel thought she ought to try and get Hasima to do something with her, but she felt that pushing her friend into doing something she was uncomfortable with was wrong of her, and so she respectfully did not. She figured she ought to ask if there were things Hasima would like to do with her, but other than that, she wouldn't ever do more. She wondered, then, what sort of person it might take to get Hasima out of her shell more. She felt privileged that the yellowrider had opened up to her as much as she had. Kestrel had no desire to be pushy, intrusive or anything of the sort, because she herself was a quieter person who kept to herself. She had a lot of pride, but was not prideful, and had confidence in her abilities, but not in herself for the most part. So, she could relate to Hasima, and it was nice, really.

~~~~~~

K'tan nodded and then admitted, "well, I grew up in a hold as well. I was thinking I'd become a wood crafter when I grew, until I was searched and impressed Vyralth." He looked like he was smiling fondly at the memory, and then to Hasima, "you know, do you?" He quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering what had happened to make someone think they'd fail at things before ever trying. Was her self confidence really that low? Well, he'd have to just see about changing that in some way or another! He wouldn't push it further here, however, perhaps not until he knew her better. To her comment on there being lots of people to meet at the Weyr, he nodded appreciatively and said with a small smile and nod, "well, I do hope there is! A change of scenery, new people-I can't wait." He then added, "and see I've not even got there and already met the three of you." He looked around curiously, and then admitted, "I doubt I should trouble the Weyrwoman on a gather day, but I would love to meet her, and if one of you could point her out if you should happen to see her, I wouldn't feel so silly walking up to everyone and asking 'hullo' there, are you the Weyrwoman'

---

Admin's Note:[/hr]" He put his hands to his mouth in a fair imitation of someone looking lost and looking around for someone they couldn't find, before looking back at the trio. He then heard someone announce that the runner races were starting soon, and his eyes widened as he asked the trio, "did you three want to see the races? I know I watch every year, it's fun to guess who will win, in my opinion." With a sidewards glance at Hasima, he asked, "would you be interested in placing a bet, m'lady? I could put a mark or two on your choice, as well as my own?" He then looked at Kestrel and Khris, and added, "I could put some on whichever one you two pick as well?" He didn't want to seem like he was merely focusing on Hasima, though he wouldn't have minded some time to get to know this interesting and shy girl. Plenty of time to get to know them all, though, and he was amused to hear Vyralth's small version of an amused laugh.

~~~~~~

Tikal laughed at Kaelin's state, although it was lighthearted and polite enough, and admitted, "I like the look of Dragonet-interesting name, too! My marks will go on him, what about you?" However, before he had time to gather a response from his newfound companion, a man's voice proclaimed her name in a state of shocked sounding vocals. Well, he was first alarmed that Kaelin had come here with someone else-someone who wouldn't like to see her with another male, getting the wrong impression. So, he turned around rather quickly too, preparing for the worst, even though his optimistic nature usually did not. However, given Kaelin's reaction, he quickly put on a straight face once more, inwardly sighing with relief. He chuckled at her response to the older man, and then watched as yet another stepped forwards. He would let them and Kaelin say their piece before making any interruptions, and only stood closer than before, waiting on them to be through as was only polite. He thought the men had the look of riders about them, and wondered if they were from wherever Kaelin was, since they obviously seemed to know each other, and quite well at that. He brushed a stray strand of crimson hair back and surveyed the newcomers with interest.

~~~~~~

Kaiya was still waiting by the betting stand when she heard Riler's voice call out to her. She turned around, brows furrowed in worry, but then a relieved smile crossed her features when she realized that he had Wolf with him, and that the other girl looked a lot better than she had. Well, whatever had transpired between the two of them, she felt that she trusted them both enough that she wasn't worried much by it. She didn't know if the trust was all that well placed, if only because she really didn't know either one of them too well, but since she was going on what she did know, she felt more at ease. She waved back enthusiastically, and then called back, "Riler! Wolf! Good to see you two, I was beginning to get lonely here all by myself-and you can bet you I did!" she said in response to Riler's query in regards to placing his bet, and then, "I put one on Rip Tide, I hope he is as fast as he looks!" She grinned and then asked Wolf, "who do you think will win, Wolf?" She didn't know if Wolf wanted to bet or not, for some people did and some people didn't. Then, she motioned towards the stands and added, "we'd better find a seat, see, there's one right up front with enough room for us and probably one or two more!" She grinned, grabbing Wolf's hand and pulling her, and thus Riler, towards the spot before someone else noticed it!

~~~~~~

Rhiyo looked really pleased at his friend's kind words, and murmured, "thanks, R'xis," with a touch of crimson on his cheeks, before nodding and admitting, "I really hope I do impress, now that I've gotten rather used to the idea. If I do, I kind of hope it's a brown, like Ersith!" he said with a touch of shyness, but honestly. He really liked R'xis dragon, and thought it would be neat if they both had one the same color. R'xis was someone he rather admired and looked up to, even if the boy was about his own age, R'xis had been so helpful, encouraging and kind, and made Rhiyo want to be a dragonrider too! He hoped that they'd be friends for a long time, though he didn't say such things out loud, for he wondered if they'd sound silly to R'xis-even if he had a feeling it wouldn't. When Rhiyo mentioned the runner he'd want to win, Rhiyo grinned mischievously and said with a small chuckle, "I bet Akki bets on him too, you know! It would be a lot like her to bet on a runner with that name." He then looked surprised when R'xis said he had to tell him something, and turned to face his friend, and nodded solemnly. He didn't know why R'xis looked rather uneasy all of a sudden, and hoped he was all right, though he became suddenly quite curious as to what the other would want to say just out of the blue like this. And so, "all right, what was it you wanted to tell me?" he asked, making it obvious that he was 'all ears'.

~~~~~~

J'red smiled and nodded, offering his arm by way of escort to the runners pens, and then asked, "oh, you have? Well, if you say he is a fast, then no doubt he is! I like to put my marks on new talent sometimes, for the sake of not knowing how they will come out, whether first or last, I at least get some suspense out of it!" He didn't personally care whether he lost a couple of marks in getting to actually wonder if 'his runner' would come out the winner, it mattered more to him that he enjoyed the races fully, for it wasn't every day there was a gather with so many fine runners in attendance. He then admitted, "I would certainly like a closer look, at that! I happen to like runners, personally. Even though I am placing my marks on Lightfoot, I wouldn't mind having a look at all those who are contending in the races today." He nodded towards the direction of the pens for emphasis, and awaited her reply before he would head off with her in said direction.



[/size][/font]

[Spirithawk]

((Guys if your charries are placing bets make sure you put that in the board I made for it))

[Akki]

"Sorry Sh'rel, but we're going to all gang up on you and prove to you that Here Comes Trouble Too will win. That's life." She said with a nod and a grin. Of course, now if the runner lost to whomever Sh'rel bet on that would be a rather embarassing situation. Maybe she could cover his eyes so he wouldn't know the outcome of the race? Then again, her hands were already full as she didn't want Tieler slipping off her back and clunking her head onto the ground. She shot a grin at Raska, appreciating the girls attempt at trying to convince Tieler about the braiding hair man. "You think it was a good story, don't you Raska? Or am I the only one here? I mean, sure it's not fully believable but it's creative. You have to give me that, right?" She grinned at the idea of Here Comes Trouble Too winning and wondered who else she should bet on. Anyone with an interesting name would do it though, she really wasn't picky.

"You braid her hair, I'll rip her tongue out." Akki offered to Raska as she shot a look at Tieler, hoping the girl would finally calm down and lower her voice. She rubbed the side of her head on her shoulder, wondering if her ears were spurting blood right now because of the damage they just had to recieve by a very cranky Tieler. She snorted in amusement, "Isn't this whole situation rather comical? I mean, just a bit ago I had to stop you guys from ripping each other apart. And now I'm carrying Tieler around and Raska is offering to get her food. Of course now we have to admit that alcohol brought us together, and that's rather sad." Maybe it was more funny than sad though...still, this whole situation seemed to be rather off. Nothing could make this Gather any weirder.

---

Hasima listened to Kestrel with wide eyes, that seemed rather curious. She had never heard anything about Kestrel's past before really and was very intrigued to hear about it. Of course then she realized this might be an uncomfortable topic for Kestrel and moved her gaze away. She was smart enough to know there were some people out there with pasts they didn't really want to talk about, and she didn't want to seem like she was going to force Kestrel to say anything. The yellow rider watched as Kestrel eyed K'tan, but didn't realize that she was looking over him almost suspiciously and so she cocked her head to the side and watched with a hint of curiousity. She thought for a second and blushed as she wondered if Kestrel like K'tan, and she was just standing in her friends way. She looked at the ground, suddenly feeling even more nervous and a bit ashamed that she might be in the way of her friends feelings. Hasima really wasn't the best person to decipher skeptical looks, if you couldn't tell.

She looked up at K'tan for a moment before avoiding eye contact and nodding her head. She did know, she had convinced herself to know that she would more or less fail at everything. It had been drilled into her ever since she was born, it was part of her lifestyle now. She tried to hide a grin as the idea of K'tan walking around and asking everyone if they were the Weyrwoman. It was funny because she could see a few people from Dark Moon doing that if they were looking for someone, it was the type of personality that they had. She shook her head in surprise at the mans kind offer. How could she ever accept anything like that? It was too generous for her she thought as she lifted her hands in a polite refusal. "I have money." She explained softly with a blush. She was still convinced that Kestrel liked K'tan and was dearly hoping that her friend wouldn't consider this unintentional or intentional flirting.

[Riler]

((OOC: Sorry about the shortness, I’m in the middle of class right now. x3))

Riler shrugged his shoulders indifferently at Wolf’s comment on her love for the runners. “Eh, I don’t…love them,” he said as he tried to work out how he felt about them, “I just find them fun to watch them run, and find it fun to bet on.” He chuckled quietly as he heard Wolf repeating the name ‘horses.’
“My my, Wolf, I had no idea you loved horses so much!” He hugged her a little tighter, intentionally jostling her around, laughing loudly. “Yes, let’s watch the pretty horses as they run around the track,” he said condescendingly.

“Aw,” Riler said as he flashed Kaiya a grin, “Well, I wouldn’t want you to be lonely, and I’m sure Wolf here wouldn’t, either!” He, again, tugged on Wolf’s arm. “Oooh, I thought that you said you didn’t like to gamble! Don’t say that I’m corrupting you, too, I’m already changing this girl.” And for the third time, he jostled Wolf around. On this last jostling, he turned to Wolf and smiled. “Sorry, but it’s fun tossing you around.” He turned away, a cheeky grin on his face.
“Yes, indeed, let us find a seat!” Riler was happily pulled along as Kaiya grabbed Wolf and Wolf grabbed him. There, in the middle of the area, was the perfect spot to watch the races. Riler was slightly amazed that nobody had taken the spot yet, it was right in the middle of the stands.
“Good eye, Kaiya!” He quickly settled down on a seat, letting Wolf slide out of his grasp. “Can’t believe nobody took this spot, maybe it was being saved…” He twirled his head around, looking to see if anybody was objecting to them sitting here. Nobody seemed to be saying anything, so he turned back to Kaiya and Wolf. “Nope, looks like we’re good!”

Looking over at the race track, he saw that the runners were beginning to line up. “And just in time, too! It looks like they’re going to be starting really soon!” To Kaiya, he said almost challengingly while still keeping his humor, “May the best runner win!”

[Wolf]

"Of course I just yelled at you," Tieler grumbled to Marletta at a normal volume. "I wouldn't want your grubby hands in my hair anyhow," she added with clenched teeth. She narrowed her eyes spitefully when Akki commented about her loving her again, since that couldn't be farther away from the truth. "Whatever," she replied, fed-up. She hardly felt as if she could hold her own in a verbal match right now. When she was back on her feet perhaps but for now she'd just let everything slide. She wanted to get to her seat at the Runner race so she could get off of the Bluerider; it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. When Sh'rel made the offer of getting her a glass of water she waved her hand at him. "Fine, go ahead, but be quick about it," was her irritated reply. One really couldn't expect the girl to be thankful; it just wasn't in her. She appeared as if she had quite a bit of bad blood, not to mention her foul way of dealing with just about every one.

She was, however, thankful within' when Raska made the offer of undoing the braids once they were seated. "That'd be... I agree to that," she said to Raska more quietly. She really didn't appreciate what had been done to her hair, she'd liked it perfectly fine just the way it was before Akki had gone and messed with it. She commenced rubbing the side of her head, unsure of how long she'd be able to hold out not yelling with this wretched pain of hers. She rested on Akki, going almost completely limp. She closed her eyes over, still feeling groggy. This was so gross, how could she have allowed herself to get in to such a state? How many more times was she going to be this careless?
…
“Tieler!” she could hear a voice yelling. She shook her head back and forth, the voice only getting louder and louder until she felt that her head was going to burst. “Tieler, what have you done!” she heard the voice shout, scared people crowding around her and another boy… That boy… the one who’d been seated on the edge of her bed, just staring at her; just wanting to know if she was all right. Red… blood, was it on her hands? The colour red was on the floor and on his face. Red was dripping on his gitar. This wasn’t supposed to happen, she hadn’t meant to hit that hard. His cheek split, he’d hit the floor, unconscious-unmoving. Was he dead? Her breath caught in her throat and she sank to her knees, unaware that more and more people-apprentices-were all crowding in to the room.
…
“I didn’t mean to!” she yelled aloud, looking up at the sky. The sun flooded in to her eyes, forcing her to look down again. She looked around quickly, seeing that she was back at the Gather. Was she going crazy? She hadn’t even been dreaming and she was still reliving it? When would this nightmare ever end, or was she still in one?
~~~

R’xis shrugged a shoulder, glad that Rhiyo was appreciative. “Its no problem… really…” he said quietly, his gaze preoccupied by the ground. “Ersith,” he said once the boy’s attention was on him, “She’s not who you think she is… And it’s just that…” He looked back up to see Rhiyo’s reaction, knowing the boy would catch on quite quickly to the change in gender as he spoke about his dragonet. He felt ashamed, not of her, but of himself. Mainly a huge part of him didn’t want his newfound friends thinking that he was homosexual or something of the like… Had this happened to him because he’d fallen in love with a girl whom also had an opposite gender dragon? He wasn’t sure if things worked out quite like that. He hoped they did, it would make much more sense. Not every one that impressed a dragon of the opposite gender had to be homosexual, but he just concerned about it anyways. He ran a hand through his short blond hair, wincing visibly. Rhiyo didn’t seem the type to create an outburst. He’d likely not understand why R’xis was keeping it a secret and all, but he bet that he’d be more hurt then anything that R’xis hadn’t trusted him with the secret right off the bat. You always have to get to know people first before entrusting them with things, R’xis thought. Even now he didn’t know Rhiyo all that well but he could tell that he was a trustworthy guy, it was a gut feeling.

~~~

Wolf didn’t look too sure about what Kaiya had asked. “I’m not really sure, I didn’t get a chance to check-out the runners so I don’t even know most of there names. I bet I wouldn’t be too great a judge on that sort-of thing anyhow. Its just not a skill I possess,” she answered humbly. “What one is it that you bet on?” she asked her friend curiously. Perhaps Kaiya had an eye for this sort-of thing and would better know.
She shot a playful glare at Riler, hearing the condescending tone to his voice. “Don’t make fun,” she told him, her playfulness quite clear. She manoeuvred her body so that she could punch his shoulder. After doing so she smirked, feeling quite satisfied. “You know what happens to people that tease don’t you?” she asked, hoping that he did know because she wasn’t quite sure herself. It was just one of those things she said before having come up with a proper response to give in her head. “Like jostling me huh? Well, boys will be boys,” she said-purposely giving a dramatic sigh. She then felt herself being pulled along by both Kaiya and Riler, chuckling as they made there way to the seats. She sat down quickly next to Riler, pushing her bangs out of her eyes so that she could actually see the track with both eyes.

Wolf rubbed her hands together in excitement. “This is going to be so fun!” she yelled, unaware of just how loud she was being. “These are great seats, you’re right. Wow, we’re lucky-that’s for sure.” She chuckled again, a huge grin having broken out on her face while she continued to scan the track in anticipation. She wondered just how many people would be shouting and cheering when the horses were released. Surely that must disrupt the jockey’s right or were they used to that sort-of thing by now? She contemplated her question a bit more before shrugging it off. If any of the jockey’s tragically fell off then that’d answer that. She put her hands over her knees, a gentle breeze blowing her disobedient hair. She was unaffected by it, too focused.

[kesomon]

"A little happy, yeah." A'ton smirked and put the girl down, not bothering to hide a wicked grin as she stumbled slightly, before regaining her footing and hugging the slighter blonde. He glanced at the young man who had been watching the whole time, and frowned very slightly. "You responsible for this?" He asked, pointing at Kaelin accusingly.

P'mar gave Kaelin a squeeze and released her, then jabbed the older brownrider in the ribs with an elbow ("Ouch!" his companion muttered and rubbed the spot with an injured look) and held out a hand to Tikal. "Ignore him," he reassured. "P'mar, and A'ton," he nodded to the rider. "Are all folk this far North ginger?"

[kestrel]

Raska smirked at Akki, her amusement plain on her face. She really wasn't sure if 'Here Comes Trouble Too' would win or no. The runner looked like he stood a decent chance of it-they all did. They were all bred for running, and her second bet was based on the look of the particular runner, and whim. She'd only bet on Akki's runner because she didn't like Sh'rel's arrogant, know-it-all attitude about the runner. She figured that the runner had as much chance as the others to win, so there wasn't really much to lose betting on him as her second.

Raska gave Akki a curious sidewards glance-was the alcohol getting to the bluerider a little, too. Raska had offered to un-braid Tieler's hair, and Sh'rel had been the one to offer Tieler water. She shrugged nonchalantly, however, shooting a look at Tieler that clearly let the girl know Akki must've been somewhat muddled in the head. Oh well, no skin off of her nose. Was she the only one who could keep her head on right under the influence of a fair amount of alcohol? She nevre got smashed, or really drunk, just relatively drunk. Drunk enough to be relaxed and lightheaded a bit, but never enough to get a hangover or to behave like Tieler had, or even say silly things or be confused like Akki seemed to be. Not that it mattered, she had her reasons.

What Akki said was true-earlier Tieler and she had been at each other's throats. Now, it was like nothing had happened. Well, she supposed alcohol did end up having its benefits today. With a wry smirk, she nodded in a half-agreeing way, and then replied, "heh. Guess that's the case." She stuck her hands in her pockets, then turned to look at Tieler when the girl accepted her offer to undo her hair. Well, she supposed that was the closest thing to 'sure, thanks' that she'd get from the red-head, so she just nodded and said nothing, noting a row of seats that were close enough to the front and would actually seat them all comfortably. She motioned to the seats and said pointedly, "there. Enough for everyone." Then, she seated herself smack-dab in the middle, motioning for Akki to set Tieler down next to her in regards to undoing the braids.

When Tieler yelled out so suddenly, Raska gave a start, jarring Kero from his comfortable position across her shoulders. The feline laid his ears back, glaring in the direction of the noise, and Raska stood up and narrowed her eyes. Was Tieler hallucinating? Well, she must've been quite out of it, and hung over horribly, but what would cause her to yell out like that? It almost seemed like more of a flash-back than a hallucination, really. Against her better judgment, she asked curiously, "you all right or what?" She eyed the girl warily, wondering if she'd have another odd outburst.

~~~~~~

Kaiya laughed at the way Riler teased Wolf about the 'horses'. They hadn't been called that for a long time, but she still knew of a few people who sometimes referred to them by that name, even if those people were few and far between. She guessed Wolf was one of them, and then nodded to Riler and Wolf, seeing as she couldn't see either of them wanting anyone to be alone at the gather.

Kaiya turned a bright crimson when Riler commented on her 'not liking betting'. Well, in truth, she didn't-at least not really. But she had spotted the runner, and then, after placing Riler's bet, had randomly decided 'why not'

---

Admin's Note:[/hr] After all, how often did she bet on things? The answer was really never. So, she stammered, "I-I don't. I mean-I don't really ever bet. But-well-it's a gather, and I kind of just decided to randomly." To Wolf, she turned next and said with a half-smile, "I bet on Rip Tide. Er-just cause that runner looks like it might win, you know?" She wasn't blushing so much as at first, but the color was still in her face, as she looked a little uneasily at Wolf, then Riler. She looked over at Wolf and then admitted, "I don't normally bet. I don't know, guess it felt random and all-what about you? Did you want to pick one too?"

She took a seat beside Wolf, and then grinned widely. "I'm surprised no one took these seats, but there are an aweful lot of seats and we're only three, after all. Guess we got lucky!" She looked over at the starting lines, where the runners were now lined up, seeing that Riler was indeed right-the races were about to begin! She clapped and then turned to him and Wolf and said, "I hope one of the ones we picked wins!" and then looked towards the starting line as the announcer stepped forwards.

She was really happy to see Wolf was appearing in much better spirits, and felt that even if Wolf was just trying, at least she was doing a wonderful job of it! She was determined to enjoy this gather with her new friends, after all. Sure, life was complicated. They'd met under the oddest of circumstances, and now they were all here together, at a gather, awaiting the beginning of the race-what could be better? The sun was shining, the afternoon was warm with a cool wind-yes, this was going to be a great gather.

~~~~~~

Rhiyo listened to R'xis words, and caught on rather fast. Sure, he didn't know much about the world around him because he'd lost his memory, but he was a quick person, and not at all unintellectual in his own rights. So, his eyes widened, and he broke out into a full blown grin and said enthusiastically, albeit quietly because he had a feeling this was meant to be a big secret, "seriously? That's so great, R'xis! Akki has a blue and it's a he-and if Ersith is a girl, they can get on like that, if you know what I mean?" He felt glad that his friend had told him his secret, it made him feel special in a way, really. He figured R'xis must've wanted it kept secret for one reason or another and the fact that his friend had told him told Rhiyo that R'xis thought he could be trusted with it. So, he added, "I thought there was something about Ersith that looked-well-pretty. She sounds kind of like a she, too, but I guess if no one was told she was, they could believe she was a boy, like I did for a while there." He smiled and then asked, "does Akki know about this?" He then heard an announcer mention the races were about to begin, and then added, "we should get our seats before they're all taken!" He grinned and began walking towards the seating area, making sure R'xis was following.

Rhiyo wasn't the type of person to get upset because something that was obviously meant to be kept secret wasn't told to him. Sure, he was surprised, but not really surprised he hadn't been told right away. R'xis and he had only met a sevenday ago, and he wondered how many people even knew about Ersith. As he seemed to recall, not anyone he'd met so far had. But didn't the dragons know? It should have been obvious to the dragons, right? Well, he'd have to ask R'xis about that. He was just glad R'xis thought him worthy of confiding in, and he was happy for his friend because it meant that his and Akki's dragons would be compatible-he was pretty sure girl and boy dragons must've mated to make more dragons, even if he didn't know what happened during flights...

~~~~~~

Tikal looked a little surprised when the newcomer man asked if he was responsible for Kaelin's state, but he merely grinned broadly and replied respectfully enough, "no sir, she did that all on her own." He then raised an eyebrow quizzically, asking, "why, do I look like I'd be responsible for something like that?" he was still grinning, and chuckled when the other male elbowed the first one in the side, and introduced them. He took P'mar's pre-offered hand, and shook it warmly, replying, "ginger? I don't quite get your meaning-but I'm Candidate Tikal of Dark Moon Weyr. I take it you two know Kaelin? We've only just met at the Gather, her and I." He smiled at Kaelin, finding her state a little funny, as well as the look on A'ton's face, however, he added, "it's a pleasure to meet you both, in either case."

[/size][/font]

[kestrel]

Ooc: Hawk has given me permission to start the runner races now. She'll be drawing from a hat or something to see which runner comes in which place. Good luck to everyone who placed a bet, whether with marks or not! ^^

The announcer stepped up to the stand, dressed in his Gather finest. He had a loud, clear voice that said he might have been a harper, but who knew? Perhaps some did, but the crowds weren't here to focus on the announcer-they were here to see the runners and their jockeys! The announcer took his place, making a great show of straightening up and clearing his throat, before he called out, "ladies and gentlemen of Hold, Hall and Weyr! We welcome you to Southern's Gather and the runner races! Today we have a great looking stock of runners, and we hope you all placed your bets because we've got prospective winners out here today!" He paused for emphasis, and then went on, "so now it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the race!" He turned to face the jockeys and runners, and raised a flag high in the air as he called out even more loudly, "on your mark!....get set!...GO! GO! GO!"

The runners shot out of their respective stalls like lightning, all having been tense and raring to go. They had signs on their blanket saddles, so that everyone could see who they were. Besides, the announcer would be giving a play by play of the race, so everyone knew which runner was doing what. And so, the races had begun!

"Here Comes Trouble Too is off to a great start, ladies and gentlemen! He's alongside the first of the runners, left and right sided by Tempest and Dragonet! Kalenre's new runner is following right behind the trio, along with Eventide and Promenade! The rest of them seem to be trying to pass one another!" The runners were all crowded around one another, their jockeys bouncing lightly up and down on their backs as their runners tried their best to get ahead of the others. Runners were being cut off by other runners, and the jockeys had to make sure that they kept them enough apart so that no accidents ensued which might hurt man or beast. The cheering from the crowds was loud, but it didn't overpower the strong voice of the announcer!

"Look there! Rip Tide is cutting off Eventide!" Indeed, Rip Tide was cutting it very close to Eventide's left, and now he had begun to strain to get ahead of the other runner. "Rip Tide is ahead of Eventide now, folks! But Eventide is not liking this change in ranks!"

The runner's hooves pounded the ground, sending up dust in their wake. The air was warm, but a cool Northern breeze was present, and the runners were only getting started! The excitement in the air was obvious, as betters pointed to their runners be they up close, or looked hopeful or even scowled if their runner was in nearer to the back. No one knew what the outcome would be based on the start of the race, however. There were still many laps to go, and only one could win!

[Kino]

[Sorry for the wait xD; been a bit tied up with all my roleplays - it's not just you guys, I promise!]

Khris had looked over to Hasima when she spoke up her reply, noticing as he did so that she was looking to be a lot shyer than the average shy person; honestly, he didn't think he'd ever met anyone quite as shy as her. Even when he'd come to be with a family that had had a child too shy to even look at the 'new stranger' that had come to live with them for while, they'd ended up warming up to Khris in the end. Noticing this about the girl prodded at a different part of his usual 'hero instinct', and he was suddenly glad that he'd come to befriend Kestrel and Hasima. Maybe she wouldn't turn out to be so different than the kids he'd met in the past; maybe all she needed was a few good friends to bring her around. Nobody should be that hard on themselves! Surely she was wrong, and she was good at something at least.

He caught the grin she'd flashed towards him after his reply to K'tan, and had returned a lopsided grin of his own. At least the rider seemed content with his shortened version of his history, and quickly moved on to a different subject. Truthfully, the man seemed more curious about Hasima than he did of Kestrel and himself. Khris spoke up when the conversation turned towards the subject of the Weyrwoman. "Her name's Christae," he supplied, considering he'd spoken to her at decent length upon the day of his arrival. "Not sure where she is today though, I haven't seen her."

Khris squinted an eye lightly when the subject turned around to runner races, and he chose to keep his mouth shut in the ways of letting on that he'd never actually seen one. He'd seen plenty of runners - there'd been a few times when he'd even ended up earning his way at a stable, and for all he knew he'd been taking care of horses that had or would some day participate in a race. But he'd never actually witnesses a race himself. The boy smiled wryly at the offer of a mark to put on a horse; it actually sounded pretty fun. All he'd have would be a wild guess at who might win, but that'd give him as good a shot as any.

"Sure," he replied. "Sounds like fun." He glanced over to Hasima when she told the Rider she had her own money, smiling lopsidedly once more. Well, it was all well enough if she wanted to put her own money on a bet, but Khris was perfectly fine with taking a mark of generosity for the chance at the races. He'd spent his own last few marks on a bubbly pie, after all.

[Riler]

Riler, wanting to play along with Wolf’s aggressiveness, acted like the punch had actually hurt. He began rubbing his shoulder, wincing. “Ah, Wolf, not so hard! You’re gonna kill someone with that arm of yours someday if you’re not careful,” he said with a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Of course I know what happens to people who tease other people,” he said before lightly pushing on Wolf’s shoulder, “they get to have loads of fun at other people’s expense.” He looked thoughtful for another moment. “And then they probably get yelled at or something. Totally worth it, usually, in my opinion; especially if it’s at your expense, Wolf,” he said with a nod.
Riler exclaimed at Wolf’s comment on the jostling. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean, ‘boys will be boys’

---

Admin's Note:[/hr]” He had never heard that phrase in his life, so it confused him somewhat, because he didn’t really understand what it meant. He asked, only half seriously, “Does that mean girls will be girls, and runners will be runners, and dragons will be dragons?”

Riler held back a laugh as best he could upon seeing Kaiya turn red, but he couldn’t hold back a large grin. He decided to save her the embarrassment and not comment on her fabulous blushing or stammering. “I was just teasin’ you, don’t take anything by it,” he said with a wink. “The fact that it’s a Gather is an excellent reason to make bets,” he said, adding, “Everyone should go gamble on a Gather day! It’s good fun.”

Riler was pleased when Wolf sat down next to him. He moved over a little bit to give the girl a little more leg-room. “Mm! It better be fun, or I’m going to be very disappointed.” He looked around the stands with a lazy gaze, commenting in a non-serious manner, “Everybody’s so excited; there might be a riot if the race isn’t fun.”
“Yeah,” he said to both Wolf and Kaiya, “we are pretty damned lucky. Great weather, great seats, great friends…” His voice trailed off as he smiled at both of them, turning back to the race track as the announcer began to make his speech. He was very finely dressed, Riler noted, and had a great voice.

As the runners bolted out of the stalls, Riler couldn’t help but shout jubilantly, “They’re off! Go!” He noticed that his runner, Here Comes Trouble Too, was nears the front of the pack of beasts as they raced around the track. Riler jumped to his feet—not unlike what other people were doing to get a better view—and began hollering support for his runner. “C’mon Here Comes Trouble Too! You can do it! Go! Go! Go!” He began flailing his arms wildly in the air, cheering, really getting into the race. The play-by-play being given by the announcer only heightened his hopes of winning. “You can beat all of the other runners! Just keep up the pace!!”

[Spirithawk]

Christae led J'red to the tents that had been set up to keep the runners out of the sun and sought out the ones that contained the contestants from the holds that tithed to Dark Moon. They examined the runners talking about their attributes and praising the beasts. All too soon, however, the announcer began calling for the runners to take their places and Christae led J'red to a spot where they could see the races. "May the best runner win!" She said with excitement and watched as the runners battled for a lead.

[kestrel]

The runners were all in great form, it was obvious their jockeys had trained long and hard with them. Their hides were beaded with cool drops of perspiration, their muscles standing out against their sleek coats. Tails and manes flew out behind the beasts as their hooves thudded the ground, their legs with the dust of the track now dirtied mildly from their racing exertions.

The announcer continued on calling out a play-by-play for just about every action made by the runners on the track, always sounding enthusiastic and keeping people's spirits high, while making things entertaining.

"Here Comes Trouble Too has drifted back into third place, with Lightfoot running neck and neck with Eventide just behind!" Boos from the betters for Here Comes Trouble Too were audible, and cheers for those who'd bet on the runner who was now announced to be in first. "Dragonet has somehow made his way into first place, followed by Rip Tide at his tail! Riptide is clearly looking for a way around Dragonet, and Here Comes Trouble Too is none too happy about losing the lead, I'm sure!"

Spectators stood up in their seats, they whistled, clapped and cheered and yet still the announcer's voice could be heard ahead of all, as he called out, "look at that! Eventide has put on a sudden burst of speed and is now almost caught up to Dragonet! What will happen next, folks!"

It was true, the runners were all clustered together, fighting and pushing to get past one another and be in first place. No Jockey wanted his runner to be anywhere near the back at the last stretch, and they were all looking for an opportunity to make sure it didn't happen. In races, anything could happn.

[Spirithawk]

OOC: Thank you Kestrel for running the races like you did. Thank the rest of you guys for being so patient and understanding. Things are still a bit rocky and I don't know when they will get better but life goes on and I have been neglecting you too much. Here's the results of the race.

The announcer had to raise his voice to be heard over the gasps of the crowd as one of the runners in the pack tripped and went down, tossing his rider over his head as he did. Dusol of Lokan Hold rolled out of the way of the thrashing hooves of the pack of runners tearing after the leaders and hoped that his mount would come out unscathed. He rose near the fence line and limped to where his mare, Starfire stood, her reins dangling. He was now in last place, but he was determined to finish the race. She only bore a few scratches from the flying hooves and hard turf but she was well enough to finish the race. He mounted and sent the willing little mare out after the tail end of the racers.

"And it looks like Starfire is out of the race, No, She's back up and Dusol's back on her back, if you will pardon the puns folks. Let's give a hand to their spirit."

Meanwhile the race for the wire continued, the leaders changing their positions from moment to moment, almost too quickly for the announcer to keep up.

"Eventide is in first place, no Rip Tide, now Dragonet, Now Lightfoot" A roar accompanied a new development.

"WOAH Tempest just came out of nowhere. He was aptly named folks, aptly named. Sunscrape is moving into fourth place, now third, he's taking over Dragonet. Sunscrape in second, Lightfoot in first."

"We still have a while yet folks, it's still anybody's game. Midnight Star and Rip Tide are fighting for fourth place. Lightfoot is falling behind. Dragonet has been caught in the pack and can't get around. Shells and Shards this is a wild ride."

"Here comes the wire! Oh this is going to be a close one!" The annoncer craned his neck on the podium as the runners thundered around the track. "Eventide and Tempest are neck to neck and nose to nose. Sunscrape is following close behind with Rip Tide at his shoulder. Midnight Star is right on his heels."

"AAAANNNNNDDDDD It's EVENTIDE by a nose!" The crowd went wild. This was the closest race they had seen in Turns.

1st
Cove Hold
Jockey: Nyris
Runner: mare Eventide

2nd
Caspian Hold
Jockey: Rodack
Runner: stallion Tempest

3rd
Azvon Hold
Jockey: Rakden
Runner: stallion Sunscrape

4th
Paradise River Hold
Jockey: Aderves
Runner: stallion Rip Tide

5th
Ruatha Hold
Jockey: Osler
Runner: stallion Midnight Star

6th
Ruatha Hold
Jockey: Osler
Runner: stallion Midnight Star

7th
Southern Hold
Jockey: Teyet
Runner : mare Flitterby

8th
Telgar hold
Jockey: Belnd
Runner: stallion Flashfire

9th
Dantra Hold
Jockey: Vesim
Runner: mare Dragonet

10th
Keroon Hold
Jockey: Coyer
Runner: stallion Here Comes Trouble Too

11th
Ista Hold
Jockey: Somyro
Runner: stallion Flash-em-by

12th
Hatra Hold
Jockey: Chaydan
Runner: mare Promenade


13th
Nareka Hold
Jockey: Kenel
Runner: mare Dream Dancer

14th
Lokan Hold
Jockey: Dusol
Runner: mare Starfire

[Sparrow]

“I never touched your hair once,” Sh’rel told Tieler defending himself while giving Akki a look, expecting her to counter his claim, “I don’t know how to braid hair anyway, though perhaps Akki could teach me next time this happens.” He grinned when Akki told Tieler that if she had been more polite the braids would have been out by now. It was the truth, perhaps if she had been nicer before the braids might not have even happened, unlikely though.

Sh’rel raised an eyebrow at Raska, curious, “How do you know I don’t know anything about runners? I thought I put on a pretty good show meself. “So you’re all ganging up on me? I guess that’s to be expected since I’m the only guy here.” He listened to who Raska was going to place her second bet on with great interest, “Sunscrape, eh?” He grinned obviously entertained, “I thought you said I knew nothing about runners so why bet on the same one as me? Perhaps you DO think I am a good judge at runners’ abilities.”

Sh’rel almost didn’t catch what Tieler had said, after a second it registered to him, he had offered her water. With a slight bow he replied, “Of course, m’lady,” hamming it up for his own amusement, “I’ll be back before you have a chance to complain about anything else,” he grinned, unlikely since she seemed to be a big complainer in her current state.

“Make sure to save me a seat,” he yelled over his shoulder as he took off towards to drinking tent at an easy jog. Might as well make the way to the tent as fast as possible, he wouldn’t be able to run on the way back, not with a full glass. On the way back to the group he stopped by the man he was taking bets and paid for his two, Sunscrape and Rip Tide. Sh’rel held two glasses of water one for Tieler and one for himself, he had been quite parched after the jog, he definitely needed to get into better shape.

The Brownrider arrived at the stands glancing about for the group he had left, spotting Tieler’s bright red hair closer to the front he made his way to them. “I have returned with your refreshment, Tieler.” He would’ve bowed again but he probably would have spilled the drink. Sh’rel offered one of the glasses to Tieler and sat down as the race began hearing the announcer say Here Comes Trouble Too was in the lead, “Aww shards,” he muttered to himself, though it was just the start of the race he was sure one of his two runners that he had bet on would pull through, they had to.

---------

Marletta continued to follow the group listening to the conversation between Akki and Tieler, a smile on her face this was a very interesting group to be sure. She hurried her pace a little worried that they would miss the start of the race. When Tieler spoke to her about her grubby hands she stopped. “Grubby hands? My hands are surely not as grubby as yours!” The girl frowned looking at her hands, as the Lord Holder’s eldest granddaughter she had not had much to do. Her hands were quite clean surprisingly after she had been sitting on the ground.

She glared at the red-haired girl as she began to walk again, sighing. She should just forget about it, Tieler was hung over, probably feeling miserable she shouldn’t worry about what she said in this state. However, she might just decide to help Sh’rel if Tieler ever did pass out again.

Grinning at her last thought Marletta looked up to see where Raska was pointing, “Nice spot, Raska.” She said smiling at the girl. Marletta waited for Raska to choose her spot before sitting down making room for Tieler and Akki to sit down between them. She did not want to be next to Tieler if she could help it.

The race hadn’t started yet so Marletta watched the operation of Raska removing the braids from Tieler’s hair waiting for the races to begin. When the announcer began the introduction she immediately turned her attention to him. She eyed the runners trying to judge the shape they were in from her seat, though she had been able to see them much closer earlier in the day. “Come on Tempest” she whispered.


((Much later than expected, forgive. And I figured it would be best to let everyone be able to reply a bit before getting Sh'rel's and Marletta's response to the end of the race *Shrugs*))

[Akki]

Akki rolled her eyes as Tieler waved off Sh’rel, not even bothering to acknowledge the kindness of him for offering to get her a glass of water. “At least say thanks Tieler. He made sure no strange men came and picked you off.” She said with an affirmative nod. Akki hid a grin and said with a pout, pretending to be hurt, “Does someone not appreciate my hair styling skills? Ouch.” Akki waited for a response, a sarcastic one to be more specific. However none ever came, and the blue rider realized that the candidate had managed to fall back asleep. She relaxed for a few moments, glad for the silence that followed. However that silence was disturbed when Tieler, once again, yelled. “Your tongue is mine.” Akki said, well, almost growled at Tieler.

She grinned at Sh’rel and winked. “I’d be more than happy to teach you how to braid, of course. As you can see I’m quite skilled at it.” Akki snorted with amusement, glad that Sh’rel had a sense of humour. “Of course we have to gain up on you. It’s so you can prove your manliness and sway all of our hearts.” She waved away Marletta’s comment to Tieler, “No worries there. I don’t think your hands are grubby at all. They’re lovely, I would love them like my own child.”

She gave Raska a grateful look when the girl found some benches for them to sit on, and was more than happy to put Tieler down on one of them. She placed the hungover girl on it and stretched her back, enjoying the feeling of having no one on her back before she fell back on to the step with a grin. She pumped her arm into the air with a cheer as the races began to start, sitting on the edge of her seat so she could get a better view. “Come on Here Comes Trouble Too. If you have a good start, you have a good finish right” She asked Raska. It made sense to her at least. She let out a groan of disappointment as the runner began to fall back, now in third place and still drifting behind the others.

She shook her head as the races came to a close. How was she supposed to face Sh’rel now? “I got ninth and tenth place. I think I should get credit for having them in consecutive order though, right?”

---

Hasima nodded to Khris’s statement. She too, had not seen the Weyrwoman yet today but was rather glad about it. Perhaps this meant the woman was taking a break from everything and was enjoying herself? Hasima silently hoped so; Christae definitely deserved a break after all that had happened. She smiled softly and gratefully when Khris agreed to going to the races. She wanted to see them for she had never been to them before, but she didn’t want to go without him or Kestrel. That thought was just too daunting, she needed someone familiar around or else she might have a panic attack. She knew the races would be starting soon, and she didn’t want to miss them. She cast a nervous look at the group, “Shall we go?”

Normally she wasn’t the first to lead in a group, but she was actually really looking forward to seeing the races. And when she turned around to head towards the stands, she found herself swept up in the crowd and being almost pushed towards them. After a few seconds, she sat down in an empty spot slightly dazed before looking at Kestrel and motioning for the girl to join her. She turned her body and watched the races with wide eyes, filled with interest. She had bet on Promenade, and at the end of the races the runner had come in twelfth. Suddenly she was very thankful for not taking K’tans money, she would have wasted it and would feel terrible.

Ooc|| Late reply from me too :C Sorry~ School is over for good this afternoon though, so I'll be everywhere again c:

[Spirithawk]

While the winners were being congratulated and the losers consoled, the Harpers began setting up on a large, raised platform in front of the hold. There was a space cleard and boards had been laid down to make a smooth floor in front of the raised platform. The sounds of musicians tuning their instruments lured some of the people away from the races but it was not until the Harpers started playing in earnest that people realized that the dancing was about to start. That meant that the Gather Feast was going to be served soon as well. Glows were already being set up in anticipation of the coming night and the feast that evening. The Dawn Sisters were bright in the sky and one or two stars winked through the slowly deepening twilight of the Southern Day. The light would remain for a few more hours but the dimmer lighting seemed to set the mood for the dances.

The Harpers started off with a slow dance, almost like a waltz from old Terra to help calm some of the more hot tempered people who had lost bets at the runner races. Couples began to form and make their way out onto the dance floor, the ladies holding their skirts up as they walked and the gentlemen talking politely to their partners.

Southern's Lord and Lady Holder stood on the steps of the hold. "Let's dance!" They cried and made their way through the parting crowd to the dance floor. The other couples had held back on the edge of the floor so that the Lord and Lady holder could start the dancing off first. The couple danced through the first half of the song and then others joined in.