rainbowfic | Sand and sweat and the smell of the sun

Name:	jkatkina
Story:	Fensirt
Colors:	Amber 4. Clod Skylight 2. Smell of asphalt
Word Count:	501
Rating:	G
Summary:	Two meetings.

The angry little hunch of a redhead was at the fence again, a week or so later, on a day so hot it baked the scent out of the packed earth of the training grounds. It was also testing day, however, so Qensuna took note of her and then promptly forgot. There was too much to fret about: she was still hopping from human to human day to day, hadn't found someone she properly clicked with, and while she certainly wasn't the only one who hadn't, well, it was getting more and more distressing as time went on. After all, they were getting evaluated today, and really, they might say they were evaluating everyone individually instead of as pairs just yet, what if she ended up with one of those unfortunate clods of human who just sat in the saddle and barely managed not to fall off? There was no way that wouldn't make her look bad too, not really! She'd spend as much time compensating for them as showcasing what she'd learned! She'd wash out along with them!

It went on as such, so that when Tuanada trotted out of the rolling mess of Riders and humans madly reviewing their moves before the test, she didn't at first notice. When he went up to the fence where the Friave child was, she glanced; by the time it clicked and she glanced again, he had backed up, and she stopped in her tracks to watch.

Tuanada took a running leap over the fence. She exclaimed: he was trotting away from the practice field! And the odd little human who seemed to cause everyone such upset was following him!

Another Rider collided with her glancingly, having to change direction quickly to adjust for her stop. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" She yelped, and side-hopped until she was out of the flow around the obstacle field.

"Is he allowed to do that?"

She had almost forgotten the human on her back. The pale young man sounded deeply dubious, an odd note of something like envy in his uncertain voice. She craned her neck to stare at him: he was staring off in the direction Tuanada was quickly retreating in.

"Ah, I mean," she tried to regather, and made a noise of embarrassment. Wouldn't that be just like it, to have Tuanada run off and leave her to explain his strange turns! "I don't really think so, but, ha, there he went and did it anyways." She laughed, too brightly.

"Oh." The human -- Rian, his name was Rian, right -- fidgeted with her short mane where she'd directed him to hold on. Did he sound disappointed? "Lucky him."

"The fence isn't that tall, if you'd like, I think we could probably make it over," Qensuna tried to joke, but the young man flushed redder than his too-hot pinkish and shook his head, mumbling something, clearly embarrassed.

"Should we, um. Go back in?" He said instead, sounding resigned. Qensuna, feeling hot and flustered and irritated and confused at the new mystery, houghed and obliged.

Sand and sweat and the smell of the sun

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