Beach Party

You walk towards the beach.

Main Beach
This long stretch of white sandy beach is one of the main gathering spots at Ista Hold. A large uprooted tree, felled in the big storm, makes for a great bench, for people or firelizards alike. To the east, the crystal blue waters of the Hold cove roll up in gentle waves onto the beach, hissing softly as they ebb and flow.
To the south, Ista Hold juts out of the cliff. Just west of here, a low bluff leads up to the grassy field that serves as the Hold's main gather grounds. Beaches stretch away to the north and south. It is a winter noon. A bright glowing patch behind the clouds marks the sun. It seems the clouds might be thinning out.
In the Hold Courtyard, you see Hoth, Minyath, and Erranth.
Curled up in the sand are fourteen firelizards.
Blue Mzadith is here.
You notice Celina, Celia, Liberi, and Kahlis asleep here.
Cayl is here.

You stand on the sandy main beach.

Leywen walks onto the sand, her nose more or less in the sky as she's peering up at the sky, trying to find the hidden sun behind those clouds. Not noticing anyone here, she just saunters along the waters edge, humming to herself.

Cayl lays on the sand, her head propped up by a thin curve of sapphire tail, her arms crossed lightly on her chest. Eyes stare skyward as well, though appear dazed, as though not really staring at that brightly glowing patch directly above. Her booted feet wiggle slightly to and fro, an occasional word escaping her lips.

Words? Words! Someone was here, and Leywen's eyes are torn from the sky, finding them locked on a dragon without really noticing his rider there. "Oh..." she manages to say, figthing surprise and befuddlement. Finally the rider is noticed, and she gives the woman a smile. "Hullo," she says, coming a few steps closer. "Hope I'm not disturbing anything...?"

Would Cayl tell her if she actually were? "No...Of course not.." Cayl's eyes roll a little, shifting downward to follow Leywen's progress. Her buttox digging a bit more snuggly into the sands, the rider finally offers a small smile. "After all, the beach's all free. What're ya called?" The blue lump behind her slumbers on, never moving beyond the steady, volumnous rise and fall of his chest.

"I'm Leywen. Ley for short," the girl says, still smiling and actually looking at the rider, not the dragon, though the blue creature might be much more interesting to an apprentice who doesn't see many dragons. "And you... And your lifemate?" She motions with her head to the dragon as she comes one more step closer. Don't want to intrude too much on a rider's space, now do we?

Cayl
Maturity has graced this young lady at an early age. Tawny skin has been flushed over by the chill of Reaches' heights, now more pale and weather-pored then she'd like to admit. A solid build has replaced her adolescent slender, muscles worked up from many hours of tossing firestone and slinging straps. Those healer soft hands have long since been toughened, their only saving grace the softening oil which sweetens and tenderizes their touch. Hips and chest curve with feminine grace, cheeks still wrinkle occasionally with a polished smile; adulthood tempers emotions and appearance, if not mindset. A tempest highlights her face, the storm settling into grayish carbon eyes. Empathy is so clear within their moist shades, a range of emotion easily read to the watchful. Sockets narrow at the ends, ending in lightly blunted points. A thin set of eyelashes, and pouty eyebrows contrast eachother, drawing attention to her large forehead instead. A crown of cropped, auburn-black hair curves gently around curve of face, bangs whispy, almost non-existant as they join the other locks.
Two twists of thick cord twine around eachother, echoing hues of alternating sapphire and sable which stay true to High Reaches coloring. Pinned carefully around her right shoulder, the double-corded, single looped, otherwise plain knot is precisely made. A long tail trails down the front side, deep deep blue in color. A single, long thread of pure cobalt and silver embed themselves deeply around the cords, the true-color of her lifemate, and status: Cayl is a Rider to Blue Mzadith at High Reaches.
She is awake, but has been staring off into space for a minute.
Cayl is 21 Turns, 4 months, and 1 day old.
Cayl has no apparent threadscoring.

"The pit behind me is Mzadith. And I go by Cayl." She doesn't bother to uncurl her hands and raise them in offer of a shake, far to lazy-bound at the moment. "Wellmet. So. Do you often visit the beach to bother unsuspecting foreigners?" There's a smile across Cay's face, a jest shining in her eyes.

Leywen chuckles, not being intimidated by a jest like that. Even if it comes from a dragonrider. "I just like coming here. Reminds me of home.. Sorta," she says, the smile on her face becoming broader if anything. "If it weren't for the ocean, that is."

Phea bounds, with childish glee, in from the courtyard.

Phea
Childish bone structure molds a merry face, almond-shaped eyes shaded in an aquatic emerald under their curtain of dark lashes and the nonchalant arch of eyebrows. Her nose is effiminately shaped in the classic length of pudginess, leading downward to naturally rosy lips of near doll-like proportions. The fair skin of her face is crowned by the faint gleam of rust, copper curls having been tamed into seeming compliance by sectioning them off into close-lying yet distinct rows, each lock separated from its neighbor by a small clip. Not fat, but decidedly not slender either, her limbs are chubby to the point of being cute, stout-fingered hands leading to pleasantly rounded wrists and arms, while small feet round off short legs.
Verdant preforms well in flattering her complexion: upper-half is clad in the typical tunica, neckline high to avoid any unessential peeks of cleavage. Skirts fall in multiple layers of lickable lime -- supported by a concealed belt at the waist -- which fall to just at the ankle. Here, traditional wherhide boots peek out, dusted in numerous materials from dirt to sand. Phea wears Phea's Listening Tube around her neck. Chittering irritably at nothing, nestled 'neath Phea's chin, is Exulcero. Cradled by the platform of Phea's shoulder, sprawled languidly, is Stella. Multi-faceted optics alight with amusement, Risio is curled possessively around Phea's neck. Looming over some stolen morsel hidden 'twixt Phea's hair, is Praedo.
She is awake and looks alert.
Phea is 14 Turns, 10 months, and 7 days old.

Cayl's hand crosses to the oposite arm, giving it a light scratch even as she nods her head ever so finitely. "I suppose that's a good enough reason. If you don't mind me asking, where's 'home'?" The bluey's gaze trails towards the knot upon Leywen's shoulder, the familarity registering for a moment before she looks back at the girl herself.

"Well, I s'pose it's here now," Ley mumbles, her smile fading only a little at the thought that she was somewhat far from her original home. "I came here from Igen, though." Seeing the knot on the rider's shoulder for the first time, she visibly shudders, "you're from High Reaches, then? I know one of the riders up there." Well, knew and knew. She'd talked with him for a bit at a gather, but let's not get into details, shall we?

Swishswish, skipskip, singsing -- Phea is the source, trotting merrily from the hall to chatter aimlessly with whomever she happens to meet. "Cayl! Mzadith! Other person! Hihihihihi!" Is squeaked, far too shrill, to the trio, with a adorable waggle of her fingers added to the act. "How're ya'll? I jus' love winter, don't you? Lovely!"

Cayl grimices slightly before giving an appreciative nod. "Aye, from the frozen Reaches. And all too happy to make it down here to Ista on occasion. Even if its a bit cloudy and miserable right now. So you're a healer huh? How do you like it?" Its then that everything is broken off by a shrill greeting. "Oh dear..." The bluerider glances towards the just...terribly hyper form of Phea. "Hey-ya Phea. How about I trade you Reaches' winter for Ista's, then I'll love winter."

Leywen mutters something under her breath, glancing up at the sky as this girl comes skipping(?) onto the beach, speaking so merrily of winter. "It's cold," she mumbles, though she remembered at the same time just how cold Reaches had been the one time she'd been there. "Aye, I'm a healer. Only an apprentice, though. And only very recently," she says, giving the rider a shrug and a smile. "But so far I have no complaints." Smile.

"'Reaches? Oh, yay! I just love cold places. It isn't cold enough here, you know that? Just chilly. I need more snow, I do." All said in one breath, by none other than the over gregarious Phea. "'Course, I got duties here at the 'hall -- another time, maybe, Cayl-darling?" Besides, she really doesn't want to have to go ::between:: -- even if it is cold, which she is quite fond of. "Healer, there? I haven't seen ya! New, I suppose. I'm Phea, Healer 'Prentice too, an' I'll be glad to help you if'n you ever need it." She can be helpful. Really.

"Thank you, Phea," the new appy says, nodding to the overly active girl, grinning a bit to her though she's unable to wrinkle her nose at the thought of actually /wanting/ more cold. "M'name's Leywen." The desert-girl shivers a bit as a wind blows across the beach. Cold.

When healer's attack ex-healers: Next Geraldo. Cayl regards Phea with new found respect. She'd never seen anyone quite to match that level of hyperness in so few seconds. "Thats..er..good. I'll keep it in mind." Towards the apprentice loving the cold. "You wouldn't be related to Auri, would you?" There's the connection! Leywen is winked to. "You must not have had the..er..honour..of working under Journeywoman Aerrin yet, if you have no complaints."

Shaking her head at Cayl, Leywen gets a chilling feeling in her gut. The way that came out didn't sound promising. "No?" She looks questioningly from rider to fellow apprentice. "Journeywoman Aerrin?"

Cayl rolls her eyes slightly. "Yes. Unless, and Faranth forbid, the woman's made mastership. When I was back at the Hall a few turns back, I worked under her as a senior apprentice. And..well, I couldn't be happier for getting away from the woman. Worse then a wherry with her head cut off."

Phea nearly ran a man from the dining hall the other day: all in a day's work, for this healer apprentice! When duty calls for hyperness, she's volunteering. "Auri? Aw, that's a cute name! Auri, Auri, Auri. I bet she's cute, too, isn't she? I dunno if I'm kin to her or not.. I doubt it. Never heard of her or nothin'. Mammy usually pointed out my relatives, too, but she was kinda-sorta-maybe-sometimes forgetful." Adjectives are her forte, evidently. "Sudanna's my mentor! I luff her, I do, yep." On Cayl's comment, "I've heard Aeriella's worse than Aerrin, but I dunno either one of 'em very well, so.."

Leywen blinks rapidly at the girl's hyperness, trying to focus on the rider and what she's saying instead. "So you were a healer yourself then," she says, beaming her smile at Cayl. "And you were Searched?" Stating the obvious here, aren't we? Of course the woman was Searched, she had a dragon with her! Doh!

Can we say shiver? The bluerider just stares at the girl, who's energy abounds. Clearing her throat, she nods. "Yes.. Well, Auri's got much of your same" Delicately, delicately, "-Talent- for expression. Just seemed like kin." Cayl gives a non-commital shrug of her shoulder before smiling. "Sudanna..there's a face I haven't seen in a while. She's a wonderful Journeywoman, that one." Pause. "Aeriella? Worse then.. Aeri's made journeyhood?" Cue fainting rider. Leywen is given a pale nod. "Still..am. Only I heal the dragons now, instead of humans."

"Ohh.." Eyes widening, Leywen's grins turns from friendly, to bewildered, to surprise and finally to one of respect. Of course! Dragon needed healing too sometimes. "Well that's just... Great," she says, folding her legs underneath her to sit on the sand in front of the rider, slash, dragonhealer. "Have you been a dragonrider long?"

Cayl still looks mildly...uneasy, as she fixes her eyes on Leywen, trying to ignore the 'Aeri' thing. "Yeah, its great.. I miss working with poisons and midwifery and all that, but I can't complain." She shifts slightly on the sands, pushing herself into a setting position. "How long? Well, until a few moments ago it hadn't felt like too long, but... a good few turns now. Mad's just over three now, I believe." Shells. Had it been that long?

Leywen looks up at the blue dragon, her eyes more or less admiring. "Is it hard," she asks, tilting her head back to the rider noticing the look on her face. "Are you alright?" She hadn't said anything wrong, had she? Wouldn't do to offend a rider, would it?

Cayl coughs before nodding her head. "Can be." A hand absently reaches down, curling lightly over the twitching of her blue's tail. "Alright? Oh, yes. Just old memories being drudged up. Here I always think I'm finished with Ista." She shrugs her shoulders and attempts a smile. Offending a rider wasn't too bad a thing to do, though offending -this- rider would have show more of a reaction then her smile. "Honest truth? I think I miss running around those Halls more then anything else. Healering was pretty much my life until those few turns ago."

Leywen nods slowly, losing a bit of her smile at the sadness in the rider's voice. "I still miss Igen. But then I haven't been here very long.." How long /had/ she been here anyway? A few sevenday. A month already? Couldn't be a month already. Could it? "I miss the heat." Compared to the desert, it really was cold here..

Kiriya walks out with a smile on her face in from the courtyard.

Jisol walks in from the courtyard.

Cayl gives a light chuckle, one that replaced the morbidness of her personality the day she impressed. "There's always places to miss. Trust me though.. when things start to heat up around here, thing's'll be quite a bit unbearable. After all, I've been to Igen. Its not humid there, so much as here gets. Were you raised in that ol' desert?"

Kiriya waves. "Phea-babe! Cayl! Leywen! What's going on?"

Jisol follows Kiriya, silent and a little anxious.

Jisol says, "Kiriya? How's the pickings at the Weyr?" Jisol grins, just a little suggestively.

"Aye.. Well, right on the edge of it anyway," Leywen says, then looks up as her name is called. Recognizing the girl from earlier, she nods, turning her gaze to the one following, not recognizing her face. "We used to go riding a lot in dunes," she continues, turning back to Cayl, ignoring the fact that someone else was speaking.

Jisol says, "Kiriya?"

Kiriya looks at Jisol. "Don't be too shy, friendly people abound here at the Hold..." She turns back to her three friends, including the 'rider Cayl and the two healer appies. "I'm showing a new friend of mine around the Hold, she's somewhat new here." Back to Jisol. "Oh, back at the Weyr, not much is going on. I hear Search'll start at High Reaches soon, though. Ista Weyr has an open Search policy. If you want to be Searched, come there." Handling several conversations is not her forte. And she turns back to the others. "Igen? Icky desert. Way too dry for me...I'm used to places like Ista. Nice and hot and humid."

Cayl glances away from Leywen for a moment, arching a brow towards Kiriya before recognizing the other. Tongue licks briefly over her lips in thought before she shrugs. "Nothing much. Just relaxing." Jisol is given a brief once-over look before the bluerider smiles amiably. No need to scare the other so soon. As Leywen speaks, her attention is drawn back. "Riding in the dunes? Runners or ..?"

Kellamari walks in from the courtyard. Runaway Choice walks in from the courtyard.

Kiriya wavles to Kellamari. "Hi!"

Blu Diamond comes out of a barrel role as he appears from ::between::!

Jisol nods at the blue rider. "It's always an honor to meet a dragonrider." She says with a shy smile.

Jisol says "Very nice clothing, Kellamari."

Leywen frowns at the description of her home as icky and dry, managing to shake it off to adress Cayl, "aye, my folks bred runners. Beautiful ones too. Best in Igen." Coloring the thruth, of course, but really Ley missed those runners too. She hadn't even been able to bring her own along to Ista.

Well, Phea just kinda of -- well, dozed on her feet. "Igen?" Is quipped, upon awakening, with a paucity of contempt. "I don't like sand, shardit. Gets all in your eyes and is itchy an' I just don't like it. Yeah." A wistful look suffuses her face, whimsical smile and veridical eyes included. "I wanna go visit Dacia sometime, yep, but it just depends on how healin' goes along. Fort'd be nice, too, and 'Reaches could pass too." The places are ticked off on portly fingers, the pleasure in each expressed by the extent of her grin. "Runners are nice, even if deserts aren't." A flip-flopped wave is tossed Kellamari-wards, radiant beam following up accordingly.

Blu Diamond does a barrel role and disappears ::between::!

Kiriya introduces herself to Kellamari. "I believe I've seen you before...at Paradise Hold? My name's Kiriya, pleased to meet you." Extending a hand, with a smile on her face, Kiriya says again, "Paradise is pleasant..."

Cayl dips her head slightly. "Nice to see you as well." As Leywen affirms, the bluey nods. "I've never much been around runners.. I mean, of course I've seen them, but the only one I've ever gotten close enough to ride was one of my friends'. Not a sparkler in looks, but a gentle beast, none the less." A hand reaches up, rubbing gently against the side of her head as she watches the beach heading towards the more crowded time of the day. Phea's comment is heard and she chuckles. "Then, why're you at the beach. Dacia? Fort?...Oh, Fort! Yes..."

Jisol walks to the Gather Meadow.

Bertram walks in from the courtyard.

Kellamari leads her leggy, handsome stallion in from the courtyard, Runaway Choice dancing all the way. Hearing her name, the woman twirls around to face Jisol. "--Thanks! Do I know you?" Radiant smile is flashed, before wave is returned, and Leywen is surveyed critiquingly. "Igen? Mmmm... No Standardbreeds?" A resentful frown momentarily dances upon her lips, before the woman smiles again and leads her runner -- a fullbred Standardbreed, to be sure -- around in a small circle.

Kiriya nods. "Yeah. Do you have a daughter? I think I've seen her around you. You know Valdrick? He's a good friend of mine, and so is Rishal..."

Bertram saunters along the beach, one eye on the dragon. A worn pack is slung casually over one shoulder, and a night-dark blue firelizard clings to the other, idly whirling eyes scanning the area with interest. He glances then at the people as well, recognizing only one - Phea - who gets a cheerful wave as he settles himself in the sand.

Kellamari
Whether smiling, frowning, or simply ranting and raving at whoever happened to get in her way, this woman's lips are full and pouted, shaded a deep rose. Her cheekbones are rather high, and are frequently dusted by the long, dark lashes that frame a pair of wide eyes and throw dancing shadows about the smooth skin of Kella's cheeks. Said eyes are indeed wide, and are a bit deeply set into her face. The irises are a shade of green reminiscent of sea foam, with specks of tan hugging the pupil and an outline of thick, smoky black. The afore mentioned eyelashes are long, full, and dark; they are colored with the same smoky onyx as the border of each iris, as is each narrow, long eyebrow, quite a different color than the lady's blond hair. Her hair is thick, though it is very smooth and hasn't a trace of a curl. Even in the humidity of Paradise, Kella's lush locks are never known to frizz or even fall out of place. Small ears, a straight nose, and a prominent chin finish off her collection of features. Her neck is long and graceful, leading to squared shoulders and muscled, lean arms. Each hand is long-fingered and delicate to the untrained eye, though this woman carefully hides a good deal of strength behind that smooth skin and those long, shiny nails. Her chest is slightly more busty than average, and her waist is very small, her stomach flat and leading to rounded, yet still petite hips. Thighs are long and lean, the muscle is easily visible in each calf, and her feet are small and narrow, maintaining her long-legged, appealing appearance. All in all, Kellamari seems to be quite a bombshell of a woman, ready to snap at anyone and everyone while keeping perfect composure.
While still very attractive, this simple outfit is perfectly fit for riding, and doesn't seem worn in the least. It consists of a brief white tunic, short-sleeved and tied at the waist with a thin, stylish leather belt of dark brown. The pants that cover her long legs are of leather as well, though a lighter shade of brown, almost cinnamon. The breeches are pulled tight across her hips, wrapped smugly around her thighs and knees and tucked into her boots. Said boots are tall, reaching to just below the knee, and are of thick black leather. The toe of each boot is encased in metal, as are the heels. Thin black cords lace up the front of each shoe and are tied in neat, small bows. Her hair is tied back into a bun, held with a leather thong of dark brown and brushed smooth over her head.
Atop Kellamari's shoulder sits a proud knot. Consisting of two cords -- one of dark blue and the other of light blue -- twisted together into a single loop, the neat shoulder knot boasts a long tail with two regal tassles bouncing at the end, and a thin thread of silver woven in. All in all, the cords represent this young lady's position as Paradise Hold Stablemaster. To add to it all, a small gold pin in the shape of a prancing stallion adorns the knot, pinned onto the cords securely. The tiny piece of jewelry is engraved with the woman's name and title, reading 'Stablemistress Kellamari' in scrawling script.
She is awake, but has been staring off into space for a minute.
Kellamari is 22 Turns, 6 months, and 8 days old.

Phea absently raises a hand to cosset Stella surreptitiously. "You've been to Fort, eh? It's lovely, yep, nice and cool and never so /hot/." A short moment of silence is inserted, so healerlet can gather her thoughts. "I'm here cause this is where Mammy sent me. I guess they thought I'd like all these hot-and-sticky places or somethin', I dunno." She shrugs, carelessly, blinking inquisitively over at Leywen. "I really do like runners. The little ponies are very cute an' all, you know? I like small, adorable ones." Hey, she can relate to them. "Oh, Bertram! Hihihi! I haven't seen y'in a while, nope. How're you?" Pause. "I'm fine, thanks, and isn't it a lovely winter day?"

"They can be nice enough, the gentle ones.. We bred racerunners, though. Well, my folks still do, of course," Leywen says, shrugging as she looks up. "I wanted to be a jockey once.. But I grew too tall." Her voice fades as she looks over the runner being led by the woman, though hearing Phea say something about ponies, she almost snorts. Ponies? Bah!

Runaway Choice
Bright blood red curves over sinewy form, rich hue following each delicate curve of well-conformed body from black muzzle to wide-set ears, along well-crested neck and down across broad back and deep chest. A full mane of ebony cascades down over the neatly curved neck, echoing the dark hue of a tail which flows liquidly down from strong, well-formed quarters. Blood ruby darkens to darkest black from knees and hocks downwards to hard, neat hooves, the only imperfection in the uniform hue being a small white patch on the runner's near-fore ankle.
Runaway Choice is 3 Turns, 8 months, and 1 day old.

Kiriya walks out.

Bertram chuckles softly at Phea's enthusiastic greeting, easing the blue from his shoulder and into his lap and pulling a small bottle of oil from his pack. "I'm well, thanks," he calls back amiably. "And yourself?" The others receive courteous nods before he turns his attention to oiling the little blue, who appears to be barely more than a hatchling.

Cayl 's eyes unfocuses even as a rumbling barrels through the chest of her love. The blue's head slowly picks up from the ground, facetted eyes blinking and winking slowly up and down even as the greens regard Cayl. When the rider snaps back to attention, the conversation's for the most part been lost on the poor woman, and her eyes scan the group with an almost paranoid gaze. "Um...s'cuse me, Leywen. It was nice meeting you, but I've got to be..off." She winks, leaning towards the healer and muttering. "Never been too good at entertaining the mobs." In a louder voice, she pulls herself up from the ground and addresses Phea. "It was good to see you again, Phea. I'm almost positive..." With a certain morbid surity. "That we'll meet again." Towards the rest, she smiles uneasily and turns to pull herself up her dragon's neck. Mzadith hugs the ground and watches quietly as Cayl clambers the straps-'ladder' and settles delicately between two neckridges.

"Ohh, sure. Very nice meeting you too, Cayl," Leywen says, beaming a smile to the rider as she gets onto her dragon, then turns back to the crowd that seemingly have assembled without her noticing it.

A small, almost feeble warble of welcome is given to the blue in Bertram's lap, the sound coming from an old, faded blue flit who clings pathetically to Kellamari's side, nuzzling at her arm every few moments. "Hush, Storm..." The woman whispers, before halting her stallion with a quick, strong jerk on the lead rope. The blood bay's shining coat suggests that he's recently been groomed by the local stablehands, his tack carefully being scrubbed at this very moment, most likely. The gallant beast prances spiritedly as the dragon moves, and he regards the 'rider and her huge lizard with deep brown eyes, the whites taking up most of the space under his long lashes. "Quiet, Run," Kella says under her breath, and she smiles to the exiting 'rider. Turning to Leywen, she extends a delicate, smooth skinned hand. "I don't believe I've introduced myself... Kellamari, Paradise Stablemaster.. and yourself?"

"Bub-bye, Cayl-darling! I'll be seeing you!" Of course -- she always seems to end up where Cayl is, doesn't she? Poor bluerider. Phea plonks down next to Bertram, beaming with all that cuteness and darlingness and Pheaness (the scariest segment, no doubt). "Aw, he's very cute, that blue! What's his name? I have a blue. Risio -- he's my funnyman, yep. Right, Rissy?" Said firelizard peeks carefully from beneath her curls, cheeping with superficial innocence at the younger blue. "He's fakin', you know, Bertram. He's always jumpy -- just tryin' to make a good impression this time, I s'pose. Sneaky as a tunnelsnake!" The latter is said with some semblance of fondness, but nothing to ostentatious.

Leywen scrambles up from her seated position, beaming a smile to the stablemaster, "well met, Kellamari," she says, admiring the stallion, "'m Leywen... But you can call me Ley." Interest more or less lost in the dragon and his rider, she comes closer to the stallion and his.. Owner?

Bertram chuckles easily as Phea plonks down next to him, his hands occupied with smoothing the oil over the dark hide as the little blue croons quietly. "I call him Dusk," he says, his voice gentle. "I'm glad you like him." He shakes his head slightly as the girl rattles on.

Phea walks out.

Settled skillfully between Mzadith's ridges of wizardly raspberry, Cayl suddenly goes into a quiet daze...

Kellamari smiles to Leywen, as she gently runs her hand over her large stallion's shoulder, the muscles rippling visibly under his fur. "You like him? He's my newest runner, just mated him to one of my assistant's mares. Should be a nice foal... You said your family bred racing runners? Racing /igenbreds/?" She suggests this with obvious, prejudicing dismissal, as her fingers run quickly over Runaway Choice's long, blunt muzzle. "This fella's been raced a couple times, think I'm gonna use him primarily as a breeding stud, though..." To breed more Standardbreeds, of course, as they are obviously the woman's choice in breed.

Bertram lifts a greasy hand to wave after Phea as she abruptly disappears, then wipes the excess oil off on his trouserlegs and gets to his feet, careful not to jostle the now-dozing 'lizard too much. With a polite nod to the others, he sets off back the way he came.

Leywen nods, "yes," she says as-a-matter-of-factly. "Racing runners. Used to exercise them myself. Out in the dunes." And what was wrong with igenbreds anyway, she almost retorts, her smile somewhat faded by now. And this the girl who always smiled. But right now she was taking offence to the woman standing there, almost saying flatout that, igenrunners couldn't run?!

Bertram walks off the beach towards the courtyard.

Kellamari snorts, surveying the girl's expression with amused disgust. "Ah, well, they're nice runners, I suppose, for long distance and whatnot, though I'd much prefer a running machine like this handsome fella undersaddle in a race." Suddenly the idea pops into her head, and a small, cruel smile twists her lips up slightly. "Do you still work with runners?"

Leywen shakes her head, the expression on her face turning from one of defiance to one of sadness mixed with pride. "I'm a healer apprentice now," she says, motioning to the knot on her shoulder. "But I miss those morning-exercises..." There was no such place as the desert at dawn. Riding into the sunrise, so to speak.

Sydelle walks in from the Gather Meadow.

Sydelle
A young girl of perhaps 4'11 stands before you. She has a child like face and could be of any age between 11 and 14. Her dark silky hair cascades down her shoulders to end at the shoulderblades. She has bangs which are getting too long and occationaly obscuring her large round, brown eyes. They twinkle with inner mirth and happyness, though sometimes they can become clouded with inner saddness. Her lips are of a rose color and are ususaly turned up into a smile, grin and sometimes a impish smirk. Her skin is tanned from being out in the sun, perhaps playing. She is slim and some may say slender even, but this does not make her beautiful or pretty. No, this girl is average in looks, to which she says manytimes to those who say otherwise. Aside from her distant appearence one may notice her hands which one may even consider the smallest in all of Pern. Infact, compared to many girls her hight and age, her whole body is small.
Sydelle is wearing a bright red tunic that has long sleaves and a pair of dark blue pants. A pair of worn sandles are upon her feet, compleating her attire.
She is awake and looks alert.
Sydelle is 13 Turns old.

Dalewyn walks in from the courtyard.

Dalewyn
Short, raven black hair hangs to her shoulders, framing a thin, pixie face. A natural pink blush tints her cheeks, highlighting her piercing violet eyes. Standing only five foot tall, with a thin wiry frame, she's very young looking, though her stance reveals a confidence in herself. Hands that usually rest on her hips are long, tapered and thin. Smiling almost constantly with a smile that reaches her eyes, they twinkle with friendliness and good-natured humor.
Wearing a simple outfit of russett brown wherhide trousers and a lavender linen tunic, she shows very little of her figure. Around her waist is a royal purple wherhide belt complete with a firelizard buckle. Upon her feet are a pair of royal purple wherhide boots, completing the outfit quite nicely. The colors compliment her complexion as well as bringing out the violet in her eyes. There is a slight bulge at her waistline that is offset to her right slightly. It may be a belt pouch. Perched on Dalewyn's shoulder is Balach. Perched on Dalewyn's shoulder is Sailean. Dalewyn wears Dalewyn's Listening Tube around her neck.
Dalewyn wears a Double Corded, Single Looped, orange and white knot with a Small Tail, and a Tassle. This denotes her as being an Ista Hold Gardener.
She is awake, but has been staring off into space for a minute.
Dalewyn is 19 Turns, 4 months, and 1 day old.

Dalewyn walks onto the beach nodding to those already there. She looks around and moves over toward the big tree that is lying across the ground settling down with her back against it.

Sydelle skips in happily and looks around curiously with her large brown eyes. Taking in every little detail as she could at once the little girl quickly notices the woman over by the tree. However, the girl doesn't pay much attention to her, instead she looks out over at the sea washing up on to the shore.

Kellamari tilts her head at Leywen, but soon simply shakes her head and steps away, leading her runner a few steps. The young girl is smiled at, as is the older teen, and the Stablemaster leads her jumpy runner around in another circle. "To each his own, I suppose," she says quietly, as she surveys her stallion carefully. Suddenly, however, he starts to pace in circles by himself, eyeing the ground greedily. "Ah... Ley, if you could just step away a bit... he's going to roll, you know.." And as if on cue, the blood bay stallion drops his back end to the sand and moves his long legs out from under him. He throws his body over twice, before pausing a moment on his belly and climbing to his feet. Three fourths of his body is now covered in dry, clingy sand, and his owner shakes her head in dismay.

Dalewyn watches the stallion smiling slightly. She then looks out over the water admiring the view.

Having made her way quickly out of the way of the stallion, Leywen's smile returns, as she watches the runner in the sand. The sand *sigh*. Well, she was here now, no use in looking back all the time, was there? Instead she turns to nod at the newcomers, whether they notice it or not.

Sydelle turns her attention towards the stallion and her eyes widen even more...if that was even possible. Her mouth drops a bit as a whispered "wow" escapes. Oh how she does love runners. Forgetting her manners, the young girl continues to stare freely at the stallion rolling.

Dalewyn gives Leywen a nod in return having caught it out of the corner of her eye. She smiles slightly as she looks to the stallion covered in sand now.

Kellamari chuckles slightly, moving over to rub a bit of the loose soil off of her steed's once-shiny coat, and amazingly her hand seems to stay clean. Ah well, the woman seems to repel dirt. Gathering up the cotton braided lead rope, Stablemaster steps in front of the runner and promptly sets her palm on his muzzle, pushing his head down gently and kissing him squarely on his broad forehead. Turning to Leywen, she grins winningly. "Ah, but a runner is a runner is a runner, and they are obviously the best species Pern has to offer." Riding crop, tucked habitually into one of the woman's tall black boots, comes loose and Kella curses quietly, leaning over to retrieve it and store it back in her boot quickly, as to avoid the possibility of Runaway Choice seeing the thing and spooking. Like always.

Leywen would agree with the fact that runners were the best species on Pern. Though most would say dragons, of course, the desert girl still liked runners better. Maybe because she only recently had had close contact with dragons..

Sydelle watches the two grown ups breifly and listens a bit of their conversation. She then walk around the runner, hoping to not look like she was looking at it. It probably isn't polite to look at a stranger's runner so intently.

Kellamari goes home.

Leywen sighs as she checks the position of the sun, then smiles crookedly at the people remaining. "I should go.. I have chores, y'know," she says shrugging, lifting her hand in a wave to the people she doesn't even know the names of. "Nice meeting you."

You walk off the beach towards the courtyard.