Take Me To The Races

[Zen]

Treyjen

Treyjen had to admit, this was a first for him. Dragon racing? Why didn't this occur more regularly? It was unfortunate that one could not properly watch the entire race, being that the 'track', as it was, was appropriately dragon sized, and also oddly shaped, but on a clear day like today he had at least been able to see most of it. The first race had been quite eagerly anticipated and the crowd that had gathered along the cliffs and beaches to watch had been rather impressive, despite the cold that pervaded. The areas closest to the finish had been eagerly claimed and crowded before he could even get there, so he'd resigned himself to finding a position to better watch the entire race instead. The Little Island blocked one's view of half the race for those that chose to watch from the finish anyway. So he wouldn't know who won immediately, but he could at least get more enjoyment out of watching.

Several members of his crew had come to watch with him, and they had all placed bets on the winners, even Yelanna who had never been entirely interested in games of chance as long as he'd known her.

“The woman with the shortened name, Cat'na? I'll bet on her. Women don't do that very often.”

Treyjen laughed, “Yelanna, you don't make a bet based on someone's name. It is far more about the dragon anyway, love. Her blue is no favorite to win. He isn't known for his speed, especially not compared to the others in the race.”

“Well he's my favorite to win,” she insisted, eyes narrowing at Treyjen, and he'd shrugged.

“If you want to toss away your marks, be my guest.”

And then the sharding blue had won. Yelanna had given him a smug grin, “This is Mavros, Treyjen. It seems to me you should always bet on the unlikelihood.”

He'd cursed at that. His own pick had come third. It was that stretch of open water where Uskith had managed to take the lead after keeping to last place the entire rest of the race. “That is what we call beginner's luck, love,” he informed her, and she'd rolled her eyes.

The next race he'd fared better. D'rew was the most experienced rider of the group and his blue was small and known for his swiftness. He didn't disappoint, though Yelanna's haphazard choice had placed second, which was hardly helping him impart good betting habits on her. It was while the racers were readying for the third race that Mialli found him, Trillia on her hip, bundled up against the chill.

Trillia reached for him and he took her from her mother, the girl wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling against him as Mialli glanced toward the Little Island, “Figured you'd be watching the races.”

“Hello to you too,” he responded by way of greeting, seeing as the woman had forgone any.

Mialli ignored him in favor of Yelanna, “Enjoying yourself, Lanna? As much as you can in present company?”

“'Ey!” Treyjen feigned hurt at the slight.

Yelanna chuckled, “Quite. It seems my luck is better.” She cast a smirk in Treyjen's direction, and this time he rolled his eyes at her. “And you, Mia?”

“That's why I came to find him, actually,” she actually acknowledged Treyjen's presence then when he made an annoyed noise at being talked about like he wasn't there, “I need you to take Trillia for a while. It would be nice to be able to enjoy turnover like an adult for a bit. Besides, you should spend time with her before you leave.”

“Well I'm sure she won't mind watching the races with me, will you love?” he shifted the girl in his arms a bit and she shook her head, dark brown locks bouncing around her face. “In fact, let's get you a better view, eh?” Lifting her up over his head, Treyjen settled her on his shoulders and she squealed with delight at being up so high.

“Dragons, daddy!” she pointed excitedly toward the Little Island, where he could make out the racers taking to the air.

Mialli gave the girl a last fond look, “I'll be back for her before dinner.” Treyjen waved his hand to show he'd heard, not looking at her; the race had started. “Have fun, Lanna,” she waved behind her as she turned to leave.

“You too, Mia. Go, Aslith!” Yelanna called, though it wasn't as though the blue could hear her from where they were.

Treyjen shook his head slightly, “You have a thing for women on blues now?” So far all her picks had been female blueriders.

A slight smile pulled at the woman's lips, “Perhaps I do.”

That drew his attention, his eyebrow raising slightly as he looked over at her, “You know, we could explore that....”

“Hush, Treyjen, there is a child present,” Yelanna laughed, though she had been expecting some sort of comment out of him, “You're so predictable.”

“Predictable?”

She laughed again at the offense in his tone, “Just watch the race.”

[Zen]

Treyjen

Yelanna rolled her eyes at the smug look on Treyjen's face after the results of the third race became known. His pick had come second, while hers had come fourth. And after he'd so specifically warned her against it too. “Will you stop looking at me like that? Wow, you were right once out of three races so far. Am I meant to be impressed?”

“Well considering my picks have actually placed every race, I'd say I've been right every time,” he responded in his typical arrogance.

Yelanna snorted at that, “I wasn't at all talking about your picks, I was talking about mine. You warned me off Uskith too, and he won.”

“I told you, that was beginner's luck,” he insisted once more.

“Luck! Luck!” Trillia chanted on his shoulders.

“You see, even a child understands,” he grinned.

“Oh, please,” she muttered.

“Well, what unfortunate bet did you make for this race? There's no woman on a blue for you this time,” Treyjen asked, still smug.

“Precisely why I didn't bet,” Yelanna replied with a sniff, “Clearly it's a sign for me to stay out of this one.”

Treyjen laughed, “I had no idea you were superstitious. Are you done for the day then? There won't be any women at all in the bronze and brown races.”

She waved her hand, “The larger dragons are slower, I've no interest in watching them. And who would bet on a bronze over a brown? Surely nearly any brown would be faster than a bronze.”

Treyjen shrugged, for he rather agreed with her on that, “The sort that thinks bronzes ought to be best at everything, I suppose.” For that sort did exist. He grinned, “Though by that logic you ought to have bet on greens.”

“I suppose you chose a green for this race then?”

“Kayla and Dionorath are the most experienced of the group. Kenessia and Nimiath are close, but they're also Searchers. The rest of them are the new graduates,” he explained, “The choice seems an easy one.”

Yelanna raised an eyebrow at him, “That seems like a safe bet. And here I thought you were a risk taker, Treyjen. How disappointing.”

Treyjen made a noise in the back of his throat, “Betting is always a risk, love. I want a return on that risk, so I'm betting smart. Though to be honest there are too many wild cards in this race to really tell how smart a bet this one is.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, half distracted as the race began.

“The four graduates. There's little going around about the abilities of their dragons. They are untried in the Wings and untested in Fall. Betting on this race is very nearly betting blind,” he watched the progress of the dragons intently, quite curious as to how this race would turn out. He was far more ready to accept a loss on this one, and his bet had been smaller than the others due to the uncertainty. The only thing he was certain on was that the one blue was far too big and bulky to outpace any of the other dragons in this race. He looked more fit to be racing with the browns and bronzes. But the others? There was just too little information to go on.

“Go, dragons, go!” Trillia called from his shoulders as the racers sped past them, clapping her mittened hands gleefully.

Yelanna looked up at her, noting the little girl's cheeks rosy with cold. “I can take her inside to warm up a bit after this race,” she offered, knowing Treyjen would be loathe to leave the races, and she wouldn't mind a bit of warming up herself.

“Ah, would you? I was wondering if she couldn't use a break from the cold.”

With his gaze still transfixed on the racing dragons, it was hard to imagine the man was thinking about anything else, but she knew him better than that. She shook her head, “Better hope Mia doesn't catch us, or she'll yell at you for pawning her off on me instead of spending time with her.” Treyjen shot her a look and she laughed.

“I'm not pawning her off,” he replied, indignant, as he returned his gaze to the dragons racing over the open stretch of water toward the finish, “You're the one that offered.”

“You could have turned me down,” a grin pulled at Yelanna's lips, “Mia will always blame you, Treyjen.”

Didn't he know it. He wouldn't be surprised if she blamed him for Threadfall. Ever since the last night they'd spent together she'd had nothing but scorn for him, and for the life of him he did not know why. Mentally shaking it off as the first dragons disappeared from view at the finish, he couldn't tell yet who had won. Reaching up, he swung Trillia off his shoulders and propped her up briefly with one arm. She wrapped her own around his neck in a hug and pressed her cold cheek to his. He held her for a moment, considering, but when the girl released him he handed her off to Yelanna, “I'll see you shortly, love, after you've warmed up a bit.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before relinquishing her completely. If they were but traders, he would have insisted on taking her along with him when he sailed, at least some of the time. As much he joked about it with Mialli, though, it was no place for her, and he never wanted her subjected to their way of life.

Yelanna was promising the girl fresh bubbly pies as she carried her away. Trillia waved her mittened hand at him and he waved back before shoving chilled hands into the deep pockets of his coat for warmth. Now to figure how he'd made out this race and who was in the next.