What I Told You Was True

Writers: Aaron, LadyRose
Date Posted: 6th September 2025

Characters: Aicha, S'tall
Description: S'tall runs into Aicha at the runnerbeast stalls, and they set out on an adventure.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 5, day 20 of Turn 12

Aicha

S'tall never minded riding sweep. It usually gave him a good reason to have a drink and some decent tavern food. Not that there were no such places close to the weyr, but there was just something... cozy about the places further inland that, say, Cerault's Waystation could not compete with.

Of course, he was not quite as brave about it as he once was. It was no longer really safe to visit the establishments near the smaller holds, and even Emerald Falls itself merited a bit of caution. He had heard all about poor G'fand and Tr'fal -- to say nothing of Kapera or any of the others, but those two had happened in Emerald Falls's territory.

}:I hate it when you do this,:{ Onalith complained as S'tall stowed his knots in a little saddlebag attached to the dragon's riding harness. }:I can take you there myself. You don't have to ride... one of _those_.:{

**It's better than getting stabbed!**

}:You always stink after you come back from this. Smelly runnerflesh and oily fish. Bleh.:{

**I'll be back before you know it.**

Onalith continued to grumble, but his words blended together into a mishmash of pure irritation.

S'tall headed down to the stables to look for the usual beastcrafter he bribed-- that is, _paid_, to borrow a runnerbeast. No one where he was going would see him arrive on a dragon. And he could still mimic his grandparents' holder accents well enough. With a little of his own native Rising Moons accent thrown in, he was not immediately identifiable as a Dolphin Cove rider.

"Oh." S'tall smiled as he saw a young woman there at the stables he had not yet had the pleasure of meeting. "Well, hello."

Aicha couldn't quite believe the events of the past week, and shook her head at herself as she leaned on the stall wall, watching Cade eat the grain she'd just given him. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and remembered the discussion about her Search token, which had devolved into anger filled grumbling and her father walking away while her mother tried to talk him down.

Reaching into her pocket, Aicha pulled out the token and held it up, frowning at the disk carved with the symbol of Dolphin Cove Weyr, then glanced over her shoulder as a newcomer entered the stable, "Hello."

"I'm Ostallric. I was just about to ride down to Ola's for some fish and chips and a pint or two... Would you care to accompany me? My treat. I hear she makes a delicious herdsman's pie, too, if that's more to your liking."

}:Indignity!! That is not your name anymore!:{ Onalith wailed, but S'tall ignored him.

Aicha turned and gave the stranger a wide eyed look, blinking in surprise at his bold invitation to a girl he'd never met. She tucked away the Search token and looked him over, raising her eyebrows in curiosity and amused disbelief. "Don't you even want to know my name first?"

"Oh, I would be delighted, nay, honored to know the inevitably beautiful name that goes with your beautiful face." S'tall smiled and winked.

Aicha stepped away from Cade's stall, her gaze still on the audacious man who was attempting to flatter her so brazenly. His flirtatious wink made her eye him intently. "Beautiful, am I?" She saw no reason not to flirt back, since she'd never seen him before, and he would likely be gone soon enough. And Aicha was feeling slightly rebellious, after the scene with her parents. "Well, Ostallric, my name is Aicha. I don't particularly care for fish, but a cup of something cool to drink would be welcome."

"Aicha. Aicha. I was right." S'tall grinned. "It _is_ a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I've paid for the privilege of borrowing this handsome steed for the evening... would you care to ride with me, or was your heart set on a mount of your own?"

Aicha gave Ostallric a half smile with raised eyebrows, but her expression changed quickly when he said he'd paid to borrow a runnerbeast.

Frowning, she glanced at Cade, who had finished his grain and put his head over the door to his stall to watch her. "You paid to borrow _this_ runner? This one specifically?"

"No, ma'am. This one." S'tall gestured to Cade's neighbor to the right. "Is... that all right?"

Aicha glanced at the runner Ostallric gestured at, and nodded as she relaxed. Her smile returned and she patted Cade's muzzle. "Yes, that one is fine. He's a decent mount, good for short rides. Where did you need to go?"

"Ola's is just down the road about four or five miles east," said S'tall. "Down by the river."

Aicha nodded and glanced at the runner Ostallric had said he was to ride. "Do you need help with the riding pads or stirrups?"

"I think I could manage it, but I bet it would go a lot faster with your help." S'tall smiled warmly. If she was experienced at all, it likely would go twice as fast. He had done it more than once, of course -- often enough for Onalith to remember and hate it -- but not frequently enough to be great at it. "If you wouldn't mind, that is."

Aicha smiled and shrugged, then went to the tackroom and brought back a set of riding pads and stirrups, draping them over the stall door before going back to grab her own riding pads.

It only took her a few minutes to have both runners ready to go, and she handed Ostallric the reins for the dark brown runner.

"My thanks to you, my lady." S'tall winked and then mounted up. It was clear he was no expert, but it was also not his first time-- and it was not _so_ different from mounting a dragon that there was no overlap in the skill. All in all, he managed to look relatively graceful.

}:You're lucky you didn't fall off with all that showboating,:{ Onalith complained.

"Shall we?"

This time when Ostallric winked, Aicha raised an eyebrow, then smirked as she led Cade out of the stable and mounted. "Let's." She nodded, then clucked at Cade and set out.

Last updated on the September 18th 2025

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What I Told You Was True