fighting_mad | [OOM] Eiattu

Fortunately, the air is warm, if a little muggy. A drop plonks onto the very top of Rial's head even as he moves toward the thaks.

"C'mon, we can probably beat it to the palace if we hurry."

The thaks aren't thrilled to be roused, either; they were comfortable, dammit! Koer turns her head to nip at the sleeve of Plourr's tunic as she hurriedly resaddles her, and Plourr swats at her nose with her elbow.

"Wanna bet?" she asks Rial with a grin, tightening the girth.

Erantu makes an annoyed noise and shifts away from Rial as he saddles up with suprising speed, pausing only to grin at his wife.

"Sure."

Plourr is up first, giving the saddle one last tug, and swinging up and into it in one fast, practiced movement. "Eat my dust, nobleboy," she says, grinning wildly. She wheels Koer's head about sharply and then the thak is off like a shot, thundering across the field.

Rial's a few seconds behind, and Erantu starts off when he's only halfway in the saddle. Still, he manages to swing his leg over and leans forward, chasing Koer and Plourr.

"Cheater!"

She only laughs loudly, letting the wind rip it from her. The raindrops fall faster now; there's no way that they're going to make it back to the palace before the sky opens up, and that's fine by Plourr.

As long as she wins.

She is going to win.

She has always been a skilled rider--"You ride well, my count! Not many can keep up with me when I get going!"--ever since she learned as a child. She's lighter, too, and Koer is swift. They clear a fallen tree and then Plourr lets the thak mare stretch out and really move.

The animal's webbed feet thunder across the ground, strong muscles working under orange scales, and Plourr grins from ear to ear in genuine pleasure. It's not flying, but it's as close as she comes on the ground.

"I guess some things you just don't forget."

Rial knows she'll win. He's heavier, less agile then her and he was never as skilled as she was. But he's decent, and even as rain peppers his shoulderblades he leans forward, fixes his eyes on Plourr's back, and grins.

If he can't win, well, he may as well catch up.

Over the fallen log, rain coming even harder. He blinks it out of his eyes and grins as they skid around a corner, starting to watch up.

And then the sky just opens and the proverbial flood rains down, soaking Rial near-instantly and leaving him laughing, spitting rainwater and trying to brush his hair from where it's become plastered to his face.

Is that cursing coming from up ahead?

It is. Plourr shifts the reins to one hand for a moment, long enough to shove her hair back, but aside from that and the swearing, makes no concession to the pouring rain. She glances back over her shoulder swiftly, gauging distance, and then she leans forward in the saddle and whispers something to the thak. Koer's proverbial ears flatten, but her gait slows as they come to the base of the hill. It's by no means enough to allow the other pair to shoot ahead, but it should be enough to allow them to pull up alongside.

Plourr is absolutely not above toying with her ~~prey~~ husband.

Rial takes the bait, and shifts his weight in the saddle, sits up and forward. Erantu pulls forward, shifting alongside Koer and Plourr. Rial beams at his wife, blowing rainwater from his nose, and then leans forward again.

"C'mon, Plourr, make an effort!"

Up the crest of the hill and the capital city rises into view in the distance, through the rain, and Plourr stops holding Koer back. "Dream on, Pernon!" she shouts to him, face bright and fierce, and the thak lunges forward in a powerful, gleeful burst of speed.

Rial yelps and swears rather colourfully, leaning over Erantu and trying to catch up, but it's really not working. Plourr's ahead and Rial is soaked, spattered with mud and laughing and he can't think of ever being happier.

Except, of course, Plourr's still winning.

So as they draw ever nearer, he leans forward and does his level best to catch her.

The last flat stretch before the outskirts of the city, gunning for the small, lesser-used back gates of the palace, and Koer is beginning to tire. "Come on!" Plourr urges her over the thunder of rain and webbed feet.

Rial draws closer, closer, until his laughter is in Plourr's ear and he could reach out and just touch her back.

"Eldest first!"

"I'll sneak you bluefruit if you blow him out of the water," Plourr tells Koer, ignoring the taunt, and even she is surprised by the thak's sudden surge.

Some wise, enterprising soul in the control room opens the heavy gates, and the thaks and riders fly through into the courtyard, the princess leading.

Plourr reins in the thak, keeping her seat easily as Koer skids in the slippery mud. She dismounts almost before the mare has halted, keeping the reins in hand as her boots go squelch into the mud. She fondly pats the panting creature's neck. "Bluefruit for a week, girl."

The princess is soaked to the skin, covered in mud and grime, clothing and hair plastered to her -- and she is also grinning fit to crack her face as she glances back. "Better luck next time!" she calls to Rial, the very picture of smug arrogance.

Rial slides in only seconds after her, far less graceful as his boots hit the mud and he almost slides over. Still, he slides the reins over his thak's head in one easy movement, sticking his tongue out at Plourr.

"You cheated."

"I," she says, looking up to the sky and closing her eyes, letting the rain pour down her face, "did no such thing. There were no rules." She glances to him after a moment, smirking as she blinks water out of her eyes. "Besides, princesses don't cheat."

Rial huffs, and squeegees water out of his hair. It doesn't really help, given the current downpour, but at least he's getting the old water out?

"Then, obviously, you are not a princess."

Plourr's only response is a shout of laughter and a click of the tongue to Koer, leading her toward the stables.

Still laughing, mind.

"You're not," Rial calls after her, and tosses a bit of mud in her direction.

Then, rather squashily, sets off towards the stables.

Koer has a nasty habit of body-checking her mistress (really, they are kindred spirits) from time to time, and it is to her own misfortune that she chose that precise moment to do so. Plourr staggers to one side, but the tossed mud goes splat against Koer's rump. The thak squawks indignantly and swishes her muscular tail, and Plourr, oblivious to the shot that was just taken for her, swats her scaly orange muzzle.

"No rules!" she shouts over her shoulder. The stable doors have already been rolled open; from the looks of it, the few hands standing under the shelter of the roof have been watching the rain come down.

They stare at the princess of the realm, heir-apparent to the royal throne of Eiattu IV, and the filthy princess treats them to a serene nod as she passes. Inside the barn, it is warm and dry and smells of animals, tall grass, and feed, and Plourr slicks her hair back with her free had, leading Koer back toward her designated stall.

Rial smiles cheerfully at the stable-hands and shouts after her "Still cheated." Leading Erantu to his stall, he begins unsaddling the tired thak, brushing hair out of his eyes.

"Cheater," he mumbles, and makes a rather rude hand gesture in her general direction.

She makes it right back as she balances the saddle on the stall door. "Try not to be a sore loser, sweetheart," she says, grinning and slipping the bit out of Koer's mouth and the bridle off her face. Koer digs her nose into her shoulder, already searching for bluefruit, and Plourr strokes her forelock, picking up a cloth and wiping down the wet scales of her face. "It's unbecoming."

"Yeah, yeah."

Rial unbuckles the bridle, takes off the saddle and sets the saddlepad upside-down to dry. "Cheating is unbecoming."

Plourr sniggers cheerfully enough--if still smug as a well-fed thuvasaur--and doesn't dignify that with a response, rubbing Koer down. She talks to her quietly, and there may be a hum or two under her breath, though she wouldn't easily admit that one.

When Rial's finished grooming Erantu (and maybe he slips the thak a little piece of bluefruit he'd been saving for himself) he stands in front of Koer's stall, attempting to squeeze water from his hair.

"Ready?"

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