Going For A Ride

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 29th March 2011

Characters: Wirnan, Kaya
Description: Wirnan and Kaya go on a ride together.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 6

Wirnan

Kaya's outfit was quite a bit different from the pretty dresses that had
adorned her the last couple of times Wirnan saw her. Instead of the soft,
smooth fabric that caressed the skin, she was dressed in a more sensible
weave, thicker and hardier and of a deep green colour with the hems in
back. A more reserved skirt kicked up with every step and she smiled as the
Steward came into sight. "Wirnan, good afternoon. I hope you are well."

"Kaya," Wirnan said with a smile. He was dressed more casually than he had
been earlier. Wearing simple slacks and a nice breezy shirt. He wanted to
enjoy all the warmth there was before the colder season arrived. He led
two runnerbeasts as he approached.

"I tried to speak to your father, but it appears he is spending the whole
of this day off at another of the smaller holds nearby. Perhaps we should
delay our ride until I can speak with him?" Wirnan did not want to do
anything to harm her reputation in anyway.

"Ah yes, well, I have solved that issue." From within the light jacket
worn over her dress, Kaya pulled a small bit of parchment and passed it over.
"A message from him, for you. Permission granted for you to accompany me on
a ride as long as we don't travel too far." Kaya probably would have liked
togone a lot further than her 'message' cautioned, but she also wanted it to
seem like it was from her father, and such a thing
seemed...well...fatherly.
"So we are free to go it seems."

He took the parchment and scanned it. Her father must have felt riding
with
the Steward wouldn't cause a stir, after all, he took many visitors on
tours
of the hold lands. Tucking the parchment into his pocket, he looked up at
her and smiled kindly. "Well, since it seems everything is in order, are
you
ready?" He tugged on one of the runner beasts, moving it closer to her so
she would know which one was for her to mount.

"I am indeed." Kaya had almost held her breath. She had practised that
writing, copying her father's to near perfection and she was glad to see
that Wirnan hadn't questioned it. Her face was in a relaxed smile when
next he looked up and she moved over to the runner, caressing the muzzle
gently be fore asking, "Would you mind helping me up?" Her short legs
made it difficult to mount, particularly when the animal was a tall one
such as this.

"Of course," he replied, moving behind her to place his hands on her
waist. He couldn't help but breath in the scent of her hair as he stood
behind her. It smelled of fresh air and womanly things and he found he
liked it. Clearing his throat a bit, he gave her a much needed boost.

"Perhaps I should ask one of the other women to accompany us. I would not
want anyone to question our time together." He frowned slightly. "Perhaps
if we stay in easy view of the Hold, we could go alone. We'd never be out
of sight of the various workers, so I guess that would be safe." He nodded
to himself as if he'd decided. He didn't _really_ want a chaperone after
all.

"I think as long as we are not going into or emerging from private
quarters together and stay out in the open, we'll be fine." Kaya wasn't
worried about a chaperone. She didn't _want_ a chaperone. She was fine
just with Wirnan, thank you very much. She picked up the reigns and settled
in the saddle and stirrups with an easy that suggested long practise. After
all, her father had runners. "I don't see a need for one. At least, not in
this situation." And they hadn't had a chaperone when they had tea together
in his quarters _yesterday_ so why start now?

Wirnan agreed and quickly mounted as well. Soon they were off, riding side
by side across the lands. "Anything in particular you would like to see
first?" He asked her as they passed by the gather square. "We could visit
the runner track or I could take you out to the waterside, or up higher
into the hills just beyond the edges of the main complex."

"Hm, those all seem very interesting." Kaya pretended to contemplate for
a moment, but in truth, she knew exactly where she wanted to go first.
"Why not the hills? Then we can start out and work our way back in?" She
guided the runner around with an expert ease and drew up alongside the
Steward.

"Alright then," Wirnan moved his own mount in the direction of the hills.
He found he enjoyed riding alongside Kaya in a companionable silence. "If
there is something you'd like me to point out or if you see something that
catches your interest, just let me know." Since he rode the grounds quite
often he was used to seeing the things around him and had no idea what she
would be most interested in examining in more detail.

"Certainly." There was a copse of trees off to one side, but Kaya had
been around orchards enough to know it was more than mere trees, and the
angle at which they could see them made them look smaller than they truly
were. The hills stretched out in the distance, the one closest and in the
forefront easy to see since the day was bright and clear. Dark splotches
were etched into the brown and grey and Kaya motioned toward them. "What
are those dark spots up there?"

Wirnan shielded his eyes as he looked in the direction she indicated. "Oh
those," he shrugged, not paying them much heed. "Just some old abandoned
caves that no one ever uses anymore." He'd been up to them from time to
time, but it was definitely an area that was normally left alone except
for some wayward children now and again who needed brought back home.

"Really? Are there a lot of them?" Caves. Caves would suit her very
well. Kaya could hide out there for a few days. She could start taking
her supplies, making runs to get them situated before she took herself.
Then she would wait until the fuss over her disappearance died down some
and there would be fewer people out looking for her. After that, she
could leave...and she would finally be free. "Have you ever been up
there?"

"There are a few, and yes I've been up to them before. Not often, but I
know my way around." Wirnan replied, turning back to look at them at her
interest. "Do you have an interest in exploring caves?" He recalled her
mentioning that she liked to explore. That trait was actually one he liked
about her, for not all the women he met had a hint of the adventurous
side. In fact, perhaps that was what drew him to her. Kaya seemed to take
life by the reins and lead it, rather than just dragging her feet in the
mud and the muck. He hadn't intended to go visit the caves, but if she
wanted to, he'd take her. Perhaps she'd be so happy with him that...he
stopped those thoughts before they could go too far.

"Actually yes. Exploring them sounds very interesting indeed." And it
wouldn't hurt to get a good look at them _before_ she started carting
things up there. Kaya turned her smile back to the man who accompanied her.
"Do you think we could? What sort of things do you think we could find up
there?"

"Sure," Wirnan replied. He shifted his beast with ease, heading towards
the caves in the distance. "There's really not much there. A few different
caves, some with a few back passageways, but otherwise, they're really
just empty caves that serve little to no purpose." He shrugged, not sure
what else to tell her about them.

"Back passageways?" That could be useful, very useful indeed. Of course,
that didn't mean she'd be safe from those trying to look for her, but if
she was able to get off the beaten path, Kaya might have a better chance.

"Aye, they're rather small. I've had to crouch or crawl to get into some of
them and I'm not even that tall." Wirnan looked towards her. "We could try
and get into them today, but I'd hate to spoil your nice outfit with
crawling about the dirty cavern floors." The mounds of the caves were
looming closer, even as the hold lands behind seemed to be diminishing in
size behind them. "There really isn't much special to them and we might not
be able to go far in unless you decided to pack some glows for the caves get
rather dark in the back."

"That may not be necessary." Kaya didn't need to explore them per se, just
know how to get there. She could explore them on her own later, then choose
one that would most suit her needs. She drew a little closer to Wirnan, "I
have to admit that exploring them sounds fun, though." She mentions by way
to keep up the conversation. "Maybe we can do that together some time."
And yes, make it sound like she's going to be around to do that sort of
thing.

He felt her leg brush up against his as her runner moved closer. Looking
over to her with a smile and glint behind his eyes, Wirnan couldn't help but
reach out and touch her hand. "I would like to do that with you sometime,
Kaya." He found that in the span of the few days since he'd met her he found
her intriguing and genuine and he hoped he had the chance to get to know her
better as time went on. There were no guarantees of course, but he did find
her appealing.

As the neared the caves he pointed them out. "The two largest are here in
the front. Further back are another two that have a small passageway
connecting them, and then behind them is a medium sized cave with a few
smaller off chambers. It's hardly ever used as the briers and rockier ground
back there make it less than ideal even for the young children who like to
come up here to play." He glanced over to her, "Do you want to dismount and
explore or shall we continue on?"

Those looked good, but they were _too_ easy to access. Still, it was good
to know this ahead of time. Kaya would do further exploration later. "I
would love to." She dismounted much more easily than she mounted her runner
and tied him to a shrub that poked out from between rocks. "Lead on."
Hopefully the trip would at least show her places she shouldn't stay, if
not where she should. After all, she'd have to pick a cave Wirnan did not
show her, and from the mottled patches of darkness, she had a feeling that
wouldn't be too difficult.

With a smile, he dismounted and lead her on a little exploration of the
caves, happy to spend some time in nice company.

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Going For A Ride