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Kyn Name: Graylin
Bonded Name:Karly ( NC-chan)
Event Rider Name: Karly

Event Introduction

Karly had come dressed in sensible clothes; thick cloth pants and a durable shirt. Graylin bumped against her leg, causing the woman to look down. "Hmm? Think you're ready for this, Graylin?" Her Kyn looked up, the holes in the sheet barely revealing the excited eyes. Karly laughed and kneeled down, wrapping an arm around Graylin's neck in a sort of hug. "Are you sure you want to try carrying me though all this?" She'd listened to the explaination that every Lunar was being timed going through the obstacles, once Kyn at a time. Graylin was a full-grown adult, but Karly wasn't all that light, despite being petite. She was fully worried that Graylin would be injured trying to carry her through most of the obstacles that required distance jumping.

Graylin bumped her head into Karly's chest and sighed before growling out, "I'm sure. I am strong. I will prove this." The words would have sounded odd to most Riders, but it had taken the Lunar longer to trust someone enough to speak aloud again.

Karly smiled and rose to her feet, patting Graylin's shoulder under the sheet, before holding up a simple leather harness for Graylin to step into so her hands could help tighten it comfortably. It wouldn't do to ask Graylin to remove the sheet the Lunar had draped on her form; Karly was sure it was for a reason and didn't ask. As Karly settled the harness on Graylin, making sure that the sheet still draped almost the same as before, she also made sure that it sat comfortably and wouldn't allow her to slip off in mid-jump. As they finished, Karly sighed. "Well, nothing left but to do it, ne?"

Graylin gave a small whining-yip of impatience and bumped her nose into Karly's leg until her Rider got on. With all the proud demeaner of her species, she trotted toward the start line, awaiting the signal to start.

Karly let out a whoop as they cleared the pit, with more than enough space to spare. "Good work Graylin!" she called out, giving an odd clinging hug as they continued on toward the next immediate obstacle. Graylin huffed, keeping up her speed to a trot, so they were at a rope bridge within a few seconds. They paused before it.

"...you sure you want to try carrying me across this one? It might be easier for me to go first..." Karly blew back some of her straggling hair from her face, the spray dampening them both as she leaned forward to be heard above the roar from the waterfall. Graylin bobbed her head and Karly settled back uneasily, trying to make sure she would move with Graylin but stay centered while they crossed. Taking a deep breath, she tapped Graylin's shoulder and they moved forward.

The current ended up being stronger than expected, Karly quickly ending up downstream of Graylin and pulling them both along toward the drop and the safety net stretched across. With a mighty reversal, Graylin managed to return them both to the side they had started from, just missing the need for the net. Panting, Karly flopped onto her back to look up at her Lunar friend. "I think...I'll try riding this time." Graylin huffed, looking appeased, and waited as Karly scrambled back onto the harness and had a good grip, before taking off for the upstream clearing.

Karly's eyes widened as the clearing quickly approached but Graylin didn't slow down. "Don't tell me you're thinking off -"

And with a leap outward, they went into the river.

With a barked "Here!", Graylin quickly dug up the required sphere as Karly ran over, pawing it in her Rider's direction. Karly scooped it up, shoving it in the 'Rescue' bag they'd been given (for emergencies only), and scrambled onto Graylin's back. "Alright! Fantastic, Graylin! Let move!" As if in agreement, Graylin started running, letting out a short howl of joy, with Karly joining in as best a human can.

The cry rang and then echoed strangely, telling them that they were close to the next part. Almost breathless, Karly slid off Graylin's back as the Lunar slid to another halt at the lip of the canyon before them, a ledge jutting out toward the next step of their journey. "Oohh...not as far as the pit jump, but there are several of them...meaning that we can't stop. You ready?" Karly glanced at Graylin, who merely wagged her tail, the stiff gusts coming down the canyon causing the sheet to start drying out and rustle in the wake of the whistling breezes.

Karly once again scrambled onto Graylin's back, the pair of them moving back down the trail a bit to get running room. Remembering the feeling of the first jump, Karly crouched as Graylin shot off toward the ledge lip and the first stone top beyond. They could do this! Right?

With that magical air that seemed to be following them since the beginning of the race, each leap was the freedom of leaving the ground, only to touch down again long enough to maintain speed and change position for the next leap. Almost too soon, they ran out of pillars to jump between, landing on a ledge that led into a rather wide cave. Still running off what was probably an adrenaline high, they started investigating the entrance into the darkness. It narrowed fairly fast, which meant that they'd have to follow one after the other. "Hmm..." Karly pulled out the bizarre sphere from earlier, making note of the color, and dunked it in the river, washing it as clean as she could while keeping a good grip on it. As she finished cleaning, she crouched down so Graylin could easily see it. The thing was somewhat springy, with teeth marks very visible on most of it. "They said we're supposed to use this in the cave...what do you think it does?"

Graylin wrinkled her nose and then looked at the sky, where the sun was shining. "Let it dry in the sun? Need calm, I think."

Karly flicked her tongue out and placed the sphere in a shallow depression to dry in the sunshine, before glancing around and pealing her shirt off. With nervous fingers, she flicked the drying mud off the shirt, even as she tried to calm her racing pulse. She got a little -too- focused, jumping when a cold nose poked her bare back. "Ah! I guess we can't spend anymore time on trying to figure it out...looks like it has to be carried in your mouth dear...sorry?" She wiggled into her shirt and looked at her sheet covered Lunar.

"Fine. No like it though." Graylin wrinkled her muzzle before picking up the sphere in her mouth, making odd noises the whole time. With a shake of her head, the Lunar led them into the darkness, Karly making a noise of intrest when the sphere started glowing. Now they only had to find the way up and out to the next part...

Tears streaming from her eyes due to the sheer brightness, Karly continued to cling to Graylin as they finished scrambling up out of the pit, pausing just enough to let their eyes adjust so that they wouldn't run into anything before trotting toward the place they'd started from. They knew they probably looked a bit odd, covered in dirt and squinting as they went, but they were proud of themselves, for having gone through the whole thing with little enough accidents. And the bond between them was strong for it, finally allowing them to at least emotionally sense each other.

With a ragged but joyful howl, Graylin and Karly crossed the finish line.

((Done in 9 rolls?? eek ))