Friendly Company

Writers: AL, Anaria
Date Posted: 26th August 2011

Characters: Lyranel, Kaya
Description: Lyranel and Kaya go on a runner ride together.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 2 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Wirnan

Lyranel didn't have a runner of her own, but she really, really wanted
one. Her cothold had stabled a few, and when her husband wasn't
looking, she managed to get a few rides in. Since she'd arrived at the
Hold, she'd found a few people who had runners that needed exercising,
and they were willing to let her ride, so long as she didn't go too
far, and she kept things slow. While she was saddling up one of the
runners, she noticed Kaya saddling Lady Benani's runner, and she walked
over.

"Oh, Hi Kaya, were you getting ready to take a ride?" she asked. She'd
heard that Kaya would be getting the runner some exercise while the
Lady was pregnant.

Kaya turned and smiled a little at the young woman whom she had
befriended. Her only friend. "Hello Lyranel." She greeted as she
tightened the cinch, but made sure that it wasn't _too_ tight. "Yes, I
was going to exercise Lady Benani's runner for her. Are you riding?"

"Yes, a few of the ladies at the Hold have runners that aren't getting
enough exercise, and I have a decent bit of experience riding. It's a
fun way to pass time. Do you mind if I join you?" She asked, as she
lead the runner she was planning to ride out of the stall.

"Of course not, it would be nice to have some company." Some
_friendly_ company. The sort of company that wouldn't give her odd
looks or mutter things under her breath. Kaya mounted her runner with
an easy grace then settled down into the saddle. "It's nice to ride,
to get away for a while." Away from everything.

"I agree," Lyranel said, mounting her runner as well. "I sometimes wish
I could have been a crafter so I could have learned how to ride runners
and such, or perhaps sing at the Harper Hall. But of course, my Da
wouldn't have allowed any of that even if the Hall would have taken me
on."

"Best be careful about saying such a thing." Kaya lowered her voice to
a whisper, her eyes darting about. "There are many who would hit you
for saying such a thing."

Lyranel nodded, "Aye, but Lord Zathris seems to be the type of man who
wouldn't stand for a man hitting a woman - not for any reason. Have you
spent much time around him, he's quite a nice man from what I've seen."

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean others won't, and if there is no one
else around, it's your word against his." Kaya pointed out as she
urged her runner forward. "And not the type or no, men aren't inclined
to believe the word of a woman, or even two women, against that of a
man's."

"That is true," Lyranel acknowledged, matching her runner's pace with
that of Kaya's. "So how've you been, I haven't seen you around the
Dining Hall as much recently? Been keeping busy with other things?"

"Oh, I've been all right. Just...busy, I guess." Kaya shrugged a
little and forced a smile. Lyranel didn't need to be burdened with the
problems between her and Wirnan. "I've been taking lunch in my rooms
more often, but I should get out to the Dining Hall more. Get some
air. How about you? How have you been?"

"Things have been going really well. Ailnim is starting to learn his
letters and numbers.... and.... well, so am I," Lyranel added, flushing
a bit. "Lord Zathris and lady Benani are both very nice, and make sure
that my needs are cared for. Ailnim is such a sweet boy, though. I love
being around him."

"It must be nice to be so well liked by the Lord and Lady." Though
Kaya honestly couldn't complain. Benani had been quite gracious with
her, especially considering the circumstances.

"It is, but I do mess up a lot. The other day Ailnim was ill and threw
up right on their bed! Then when I was trying to rush their linens down
to the laundry I covered some poor drudge in the mess by accident. I
still am really afraid that I'm going to do something terribly wrong
and get sent away from the hold," Lyranel said.

"I can't imagine anyone wanting to do that. I mean, you'd have to do a
serious offense to get kicked out." Even Kaya hadn't been kicked out,
though part of that had been because of politics.

"That is true I suppose, and I think unless I mistake poison for
sweetener that my offenses will likely be overlooked. Your husband
forgave me for dying him blue, and Lord Zathris doesn't seem too upset
about the food poisoning either. People are more forgiving here than
where I come from."

"Yes, well, from what I understand, Lord Zathris tends to be a bit on
the liberal side." Though Kaya wasn't about to trust that. He may
have been a little more liberal, but he was still a man and women were
still women.

"Yeah, he does," Lyranel agreed, but she only had the barest
understanding of how different a liberal Lord was from a conservative
one. What she did know is that he hadn't pushed her off to find a
husband yet, which made him better than most. "How have things been
going with you and Wirnan?"

"Things are...not too bad." No, Kaya wasn't ready to talk about how
things _really_ were. "Do you...like it here?"

"I really do. I.... I would like to settle down and find a husband
here, and perhaps have some children of my own. I'm so surprised at how
happy Ailnim makes me, I can only imagine that my own children would
make me even more happy," Lyranel said. "What about you? Do you like
Amber Hills?"

"I...suppose. It's all right." To be honest, Kaya, so much had
happened, things had been so messed up, it rather coloured her vision.
"Can you ride faster?" She asked, trying to steer the subject
elsewhere.

"Sure," Lyranel said, urging her runner a bit faster. "I like riding
faster, it reminds me of when I came to Amber Hills on the dragon's
back. The wind through my hair, the feeling of freedom... I love it."

"Good. Then see if you can keep up with me." They stole out of the
courtyard and into the lands that stretched out before them. Kaya
looked back at the young woman, her only friend in the entire hold,
with a spark in her eye. "Ready?"

Lyranel smiled eagerly, "You better believe I am!" She exclaimed,
urging her runner into an easy gallop. She switched up her position in
the saddle so she was a bit less modestly seated, but in a better
position for handling faster speeds.

"Then let's go." Kaya then urged her runner into a fast trot.

Lyranel trotted after, enjoying every minute. But it seemed like Kaya
wanted to go even faster so she urged her runner into a gallop. Up
ahead, there was a ravine, a little bit wider than Lyranel's armspan.
She eyed it cautiously. She could go around it, but she was relatively
confident that she could leap over it. She looked over at Kaya, trying
to determine whether or not she was going to go over or around.

Kaya wasn't going to go _too_ fast, but the trot was pretty quick. She
wanted to go into a gallop and could feel that the mare wanted it to,
the flickering of energy that was beneath her. However, she didn't
know how well Lyranel could ride and didn't want to do too much, so
kept it at that pace. At least she had company for this ride -
friendly company, and she was grateful for it.

Last updated on the August 26th 2011

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