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 Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:30 pm
Most candidates during the winter months preferred to avoid any and all chores that brought them outside and left them at the mercy of the biting winter cold. However while most duties could be accomplished indoors there were simply some that could not be shirked. Still as far as outdoor chores went stable duty was not the worst. While the short jaunt to the building was in no way pleasant the stables offered a warm, quiet, and welcome relief from the snow and frost. With the herd shifted to the shelter of the northern pen to be kept out of the wind a number of the young calves had been place in the stables to keep out of the cold and now stood or sat bleeping and awaiting their food or mothers.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:41 pm
Stables. His mates would laugh at him if they ever found out he was feeding herdbeast calves. Better than mucking out their stalls, but STILL. Their captain reduced to apprentice work. It hadn't actually factored into Zofer's consciousness when he accepted the Rider's offer to Stand.
"Feels weird to be feeding you, knowing that someday you'll be feeding me." Maybe not him specifically, there was a chance he wouldn't Impress and would go back to sailing. Then he wouldn't have to freeze his balls off, pouring feed into beast troughs every again.
At least he was almost done. A few more and he could go back and find a fireplace, where he might regain feeling in his extremities.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:50 pm
"That is of course if the dragons don't eat them first." Piped up a familiar voice from one stall over as Emora peered over the railing at Zofer offering the boy a grin as Vanity peaked out from beneath her owner's gold locks and offered the other candidate a chirrup of greeting. One that was mimicked by a young bronze that came to land on the railing preening under the light of the glows.
"Could be worse. You could have gotten the wherry cages. They'll peck you till you bleed if you don't feed them fast enough and s**t all over yours shoes while they're at it." Emora added making a face of disgust that spoke well enough about what she thought of their more feathered food source. Letting go of the railing she dropped back into her own stall turning back to her work. "Of course I've always preferred Runners. They're much cleaner." She added as she returned to her brushing, carefully grooming the hide of a massive pitch black runner that currently stood beside her happily munching away on some hay.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:06 pm
"Ugh!" Zofer grimaced. "Remind me never to work with beasts again." It was bad enough having to step into the stalls to feed the creatures, his boots already had a thin layer of Faranth knows what caked on their soles. Someone, not him, was slated to clean the rushes, but apparently had not got to their task yet.
He poured the rest of the bag out into the trough, shaking the remnants before tossing it aside. "Hey Emora. I didn't see your name on the stink pit roster." He lifted a hand in a wave to her and her flits before she disappeared back into her own stall.
Zofer took her place over the wall, leaning forward on his waist to watch her work with the runner. "Someone trade you?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:21 pm
"Oh they're not so bad once you learn how to deal with them." Emore replied reaching a hand out to stroke the runners great shining black neck earning a happy snuffle from the beast as it half turned ruffling her hair with it's nose and blowing a breath at Zofer as it scented him. Then as if deeming the boy no real threat it went back to munching on it's hay.
Vanity however was thrilled to have Zofer join them on the wall and hopped right on over to chitter at the other candidate. The bronze though seemed less pleased to have his territory intruded upon and instead settled for fluttering down to Emora's shoulder. "This is Valor by the way he's new and no no one traded me." She answered pausing in her brushing to check her saddle and blanket pulling them off the shelf to toss them onto her runner's back.
"I've got herdbeast duty. Only I and another candidate know how to properly herd so we rotate with each other between other chores so we're not both constantly stuck out in the freezing cold. Sides cold or no I enjoy a good romp around the pens every once in a while. I get to feeling cooped up when the weather turns cold if I stay inside too long." Emora explained carefully doing up the straps and buckles of her saddle Zofer a rather curious if not daring little glance.
"Ever been on a runner before Zofer?" She asked with an arched brown and a grin that said she doubted he could handle it.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:39 pm
Vanity got a quick scratch on her head. Zofer 'snorted' back at the Runner, wrinkling his nose as the scent of the stables reasserted itself in his senses. "He from Vanity's clutch?" Polaris was curled in Zofer's sheets last he saw. Baron was resting above, keeping an eye on Zofer and the animals as he worked.
"So you really do ride around all the time?" Zofer mused out loud. His mouth drew back into a half smile as he shifted in his perch. Her question startled him, but he hid it quickly. "Psh!" He scoffed, "Of course. At least, when I'm not out at sea. Favorite hobby." Zofer shrugged it off as if it were unimportant and quickly searched his brain for a new topic.
He landed on himself of course. "So uh... How's the gossip in the girls barracks? Anyone voicing unrequited love for a handsome young man with gorgeous dark hair and scandalously good looks?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:51 pm
"Nah I bought his egg off another candidate that found they had a bit of a surplus of them." She replied double checking her work before grabbing the harness and bit and sliding them onto her runner before clipping on the reins. His musing only drawing a wry chuckle from the other candidate. "What you think I keep a runner here at the Weyr just for looks?" She joked sticking her tongue out at him teasingly before mounting up with one swift leap. Feeling Stormfront shift beneath her and raise his head from his meal she turned leaning down to unlatch the stall gate.
"As to the riding well good. I need a second set of eyes to look for weak points in the pen fences while I double check the herd. Best hop on up behind me unless of course as an experienced rider you want to go back to the embarrassment of tending to herd beast babies. Just be warned they tend to have a good deal of gas and other unpleasant things after they've been fed." She continued offering him a hand up as she steered her massive black runner out of his stall and around to flank Zofer's.
"Handsome young man with gorgeous dark hair and scandalously good looks? Why I might of except for the fact there's no one currently at the Weyr to meet that description. Now if you were more concerned about gossip pertaining to a cocky womanizing pretty boy sailor with an ego the size of the Weyr itself then maybe I could help you." Emora shot back with a playful wink her hand still held out to him unperturbed and clearly not to be dissuaded.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:29 pm
"That thing's yours?" He asked almost incredulous. Zofer hopped down from the wall as she left her stall, opening the door to his own to watch her pass. A sense of forboding crept up on him as she continued to speak. Above, Bosun shuffled in alarm.
He shouldn't have opened his mouth. Or rather, he shouldn't have answered her query in the way he had. Looking at her hand he realized he couldn't back out of this easily. His task was done. Her's was beginning and he couldn't even plead cold to get out of it. Not without sounding like a wuss. Hadn't he just been bragging at lunch the other day?
She was right of course, he didn't want to be anywhere near those creatures as they ate. He glanced at the runner she sat on, from above it hadn't looked that bad but right next to it... it was huge.
Then again, it wasn't like he was riding solo, how could she tell if he was a good rider or not if he wasn't actually doing anything? AND. He'd be sitting behind her, close behind her. He remembered their previous conversation well enough but she was inviting him up behind her. That was pretty much a free pass.
All those thoughts passed in just a couple seconds before his cocky self was back in place and he grabbed her hand. There was no hesitation despite the fact he had no idea what he was doing. He just placed his foot in the stirrup as he'd seen her do and swung his leg over the runner's back.
"hng!" He came down on the saddle too hard. The landing making him tense up and a quick moment of nausea float through his stomach. He stiffled the cry and forced himself to sit upright in an effort to keep Emora from noticing. He focused on replying to her burn.
"Nah." His voice was strained despite his attempts to keep it casual. "Not interested in who's after Zenikial."
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 4:01 pm
"Yep all mine. His name's Stormfront, he's a trick runner so he doesn't have the speed the racers do, but he's a smoother ride and doesn't mind the work." She explained with an affectionate grin as she patted the massive black horses neck gently as the great beast shifted beneath her his nostrils flaring to show the reds of the inside. For love of his owner though he stood still as the chatty two-legger put his weight into the stirrup Emora shifting her weight to balance the saddle for him before Zofer came down with a whump in the saddle behind her. This drew a snicker from Emora, but she covered it well as a slight cough. However his last comment she couldn't hide her humor.
"Touche Zofer. Ok grip me round the waist Stomrfronts take offs can be a bit on the fast side." She cautioned waiting for the other journeyman to do so. "Oh and if I catch your hands going any lower I'll give him the signal to throw you." Emora added her tone a touch darker as she half turned to arch a brow at him to make sure her warning carried over.
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