An Adventure on the Rise [Open] [Group quest]

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Time and Date:: Midday, Mid-February

Weather:: Cold and windy but also unseasonably sunny

Previous Threads?:: None (ooc discussion thread: Let's go on a quest!)




Higher and higher, heart pumping, a young woman in freshly polished armor, each inch of metal and leather shined with an almost obsessive fastidiousness, reached greedily for the sky and for the sight of the arena in the distance on the back of a large, indigo nadder.

"That's it." she said in hushed wonderment. "The raceway." She looked down, and the dragon looked up, round yellow eyes rolling skywards. "You and me, Moonseed, takin' home the gold. Those other riders won't know what hit 'em."

Her hand drifted absently from the reigns to simple circle of brilliant gold resting on her chest. She wasn't used to putting her grandmother's medal on display like this, rather than where she normally kept it tucked protectively under her shirt.

Tryggr Horndottir, after years of secret training and amateurish races around the mountains, she was finally headed for a real live raceway. And if she won, she thought with feverish delight, oh allfather permit it if she won...

Glory. Fame. Respect.

Her family certainly wouldn't be able to say racing was a dangerous, pigheaded waste of time anymore, no sir!

She wasn't the first to arrive, not by a long shot. Riders and dragons big and small prepared for the competition in their respective fashions. Spectators filed into the stands, placing bets and stocking up on snacks to enjoy through the spectacle, something that a number of early venders were already taking advantage of. Hel, it looked like half of Berk had to have already arrived. Tryggr felt her heart leap into her throat, maybe taking a bit of her stomach along with it.

Steeling her expression and squaring her shoulders, forcing away all telltale signs of fear, she pushed through the crowd in search of any familiar faces. Moonseed's size and thoroughly spiked body allowed her to make some space for herself in the chaos, but it was still an effort not to scowl at the closeness of the many moving bodies, or shiver at the idea of their eyes on her.

The races would be starting soon; riders began filing out into sections based on their dragons' flight class.

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Sol had arrived a bit earlier, thinking she would be able to gain a little cash by selling some grilled fish. Originally she hadn't expected to much profit since the cod she had grilled and put on a stick was not incredibly fresh but the crowd was hungry. Soon she might need to grill some more cod.
Scallop followed her rider, slightly frustrated with the girl. She thought that the event they were going to would have a few less dragons. This place was far too packed for her comfort. If she weren't carrying sacks upon sacks of the family leftover cod, she would have scooped Sol up and brought her back home. She had half a mind to ground the girl. See how she'd like having to carry her merchandise on foot.
"GET YOUR COD STICK, GRILLED COD STICK RIGHT HERE!" Sol chanted to the passing crowd.
She looked back to her dragon, "We might have to cook a few more of these out back."
Scallop snorted disapprovingly but Sol knew the dragon would probably heed her request in the end. The two tried maneuvering out of the stand to cook the fish selling the fish along the way. 
A passing group seemed to be talking in hushed voices. Sol couldn't help but overhear something about a dragon, a new dragon. She didn't catch the rest of it. She then saw someone who was obviously a racer.
"Would you like a cod stick before your race?" She maneuvered in front of the racer to get her full attention.

[Boom and Lockjaw]

There was a brisk, heavy-handed tap on the back of Solvi's shoulder. The owner of those fingers was wearing not only traditional flightwear and a tight fitting helmet that squished her fire-colored hair into her face but an overconfident grin not unlike a wild cat prowling about; it was clear she was perfectly content here and unfussed by the chatter and chaos.

If anything she seemed more at ease than usual, perfectly at home in the restless din of potential competition.
"Oi. I'll take one." Boom didn't have the courtesy to wait for an answer, her scratched and battered fingers wiggling suspended for just a moment before reaching out to grab one right out of Solvi's samples with a contented little hum with no mind to the other girl's personal space.
"Sweet." Boom purred approvingly, looking over the snack with a certain relish.

Her other hand was busy fishing in her pocket for what was probably some sort of payment, not even bothering to take a step back as she gave an easy three-fingered wave at the polished and gleaming Tryggr.
"Good to see you, slick." She clicked her tongue and winked, promptly biting into the cod as she thoughtlessly tossed a coin Solvi's way. The next sound she made was a satisfied one around her full mouth and bulging cheeks.

She didn't seem to care that oil would spread around her mouth and cheeks, comfortably unrefined.

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Tryggr bit the inside of her cheek to keep her smile from growing too giddy. Others could still be watching and she had to keep herself looking like a formidable opponent. Intimidation was half the battle. Well, more like two-fifths the battle.

"Mornin', Doomhammer," she greeted a bit more formally than usual. She nodded to fish vender, another familiar face, she noted with relief. "Asmod."

Their paths had crossed in summers past, days spent companionably fishing and trading their catches while the nadder and hobblegrunt respectively waded in out of the tide. She didn't know much about the girl, nor the girl her; she never really felt she needed to; their relationship was always caught somewhere between business associates and friends. They were fairly different people, she had once guessed, but Tryggr admired her spirit.

Her thoughts on her blacksmith friend were simultaneously simpler and more complicated. Tryggr knew a bit more about her, she thought, and definitely had a better grasp on her overall demeanor. Her eager, competitive spark and pride in her craft was something Tryggr understood well. Her seemingly limitless self-confidence and confrontational wild streak was something she did not.

Knowing that trying to talk to Boom- or rather trying to decipher what she said- while she was eating was a lost cause, Tryggr stayed focused on Solvi, and on her dragon.

"How's the ol' gal doin'? Never really thought I'd see the two of you at a race, no offense." Knowing the hobblegrunt to be a friendly, albeit occasionally nervous kind, she moved to give her an affectionate petting.

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Sol took a moment to remember after semi clumsily catching the coin throw to her, "Oh, you're that Horndottir," she was quite certain her first name was Tryggr but wasn't exactly on first name basis with her.
Scallop snorted, not necessarily agreeing with being called "ol' gal" but she accepted the pet anyway. She tried to guide Tryggr's hand down to under her chin, where she liked to be scratched, by tilting her head up slightly.
"Scallop's doing the same as always," Sol looked to her dragon who seemed to be beginning to enjoy herself," I forgot to tell her where we were headed this morning so she's a little angry at me for bringing her here. Still glad I did though. This crowd is starved. I woulda thought you'd be here to sell your own produce but it looks like you and Moonseed have other plans. Are you and your friend both in the race or just you?"
She had to admit, it was rather surprising a Horndottir, a family she knew were mostly farming folk, was going to race. This wasn't your usual, casual, race in the woods though, making Tryggr's appearance all the more surprising. Along with Tryggr was the girl who tossed her the coin, also company she didn't exactly expect a Horndottir to have. Perhaps she had simply judged her family too much on too little. They did rarely meet and it was nearly always on business terms.
She looked the other girl over. While she did seem rather rough, she had handed Sol the right amount of cash for the fish, which was the most important part of their relations right now. Besides that she seemed friendly enough. Perhaps she'd prod more information about her out of Tryggr later in the summer. 

[Boom and Lockjaw]

"Mornin' to your face." Boom shot back at Tryggr with an edge and mostly full mouth (maybe with just a slight spray of food debris), whether more playful or simply gutsy the world would never know... but either way, Tryggr would find the pointed end of the single cod-kebab being waved pointedly towards her in a point that was about to be made that was soon very much lost to the ebb and flow of conversation.

"Asmod?" Boom echoed in a half mouthful at the clear recognition between the two girls, casting a pointedly long stare at Solvi as she returned the familiarity with a slow tilt of her head. Fortunately, Boom was kept mostly quiet as she chewed thoughtfully on a particularly chewy part of the skin. "Hnnrn." She commented simply to be part of the conversation, mischief evident in the sly little upturn of her lip.

"Damn right I'm in the race," Boom purred with a saccharine lilt around the rapidly disappearing fish-on-a-stick. "I'm going to leave everyone behind chewing dragon dung. It'll be great ♥." She spoke the words without pretense, favoring a calculated leer out to the crowds of Vikings and their dragons. With some sort of derisive noise between a huff and a snort, she tossed her head and crossed her arms. "... Pushovers." She said the word with a little wrinkle of her nose and curl to her lip that was mostly in the name of disgust.

Boom didn't seem to feel awkward about her dragon's alleged absence while Tryggr fawned over the Hobblegrunt that Boom actively avoided paying too much mind to simply because it wasn't her competition.
"What about you, Asmod?" Boom drew out the two syllables of Solvi's last name like an archer pulling out a favoured arrow, a slow and crocodilian look passing over Boom's face as she sized up the girl who probably wasn't competition. "Going up?"

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Scallop quickly became a furious red, making her position clear on racing. Sports like that were far too dangerous for her taste. So many things could go wrong. Sol might fall and break bones, get concussed or get burned by another dragon. No, better play it safe and keep her safely out of trouble. Scallop gave Sol a threatening look in case she somehow managed to sign the two of them up for the activity.
The rider rolled her eyes in response, "Don't worry Scallop. Now calm down."
The hobblegrunt seemed satisfied enough with that answer since the crimson seemed to dullen slightly.

"Scallop hardly lets me get off the ground, never mind go at racing speed," she looked around, searching for Boom's dragon in the crowd, "So, I don't really see your dragon around. What are you riding in the race."
Sol wanted to bet on the dragon being something like a monstrous nightmare, a beast with a good amount of power and speed, but she couldn't be positive.

Scallop was beginning to get tired of simply standing around. She was considering burning the cod to get Sol's attention but she didn't have the heart to destroy their Asmod family's hard work like that. Instead she took out one fish from the sack and then proceeded to offer it to Moonseed.

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Moonseed accepted the fish with a gluttonous wet smack of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Tryggr had made sure to feed him plenty before they left for the raceway, but the large nadder's appetite was very near insatiable. He was about as far as a picky eater as a dragon could be.

Noting the interaction, Tryggr slid Solvi a couple of coins for the fish. In past trades the farmgirl would just swap with her, some fresh fruits and vegetables that were harder to get near the coast for some fish that naturally she couldn't get up in the mountains. Today, however...

"I'm hanging up the trowel and spade for a day," she explained somewhat grudgingly. "And taking up the helmet and reigns instead. The radishes will survive a day without me there."

She offered no further explanation. The less she had to think about work today, the better. Or more accurately, the less she had to think about how furious mom and dad would be if they knew what she was doing. As it was, she was pretty much banking on coming home with a medal of some kind to save her from their anger. The elder Horndottirs might not approve of this whole racing business, but if she brought home something to show for her efforts, she might just be able to get a little respect from them.

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Sol only gave Scallop a side glance for handing the uncooked fish to Moonseed. She knew Scallop was trying to get under her skin so they would move on but she nearly never saw Tryggr and would much rather get to know people a little better. Sol said a quiet thank you for the payment and then gave Scallop an irritated look before the dragon took another fish out of the sack. Scallop puffed out her chest attempting to look authoritative, not appreciating the attitude her rider was giving her. Sol scoffed and returned her attention to Tryggr, to which Scallop started having maroon creep onto her scales.

Tryggr seemed rather reluctant for some reason, automatically perking Sol's curiosity.
"Are the other Horndottirs in the audience today? It would be nice for me to drop in and say hello," Sol started making an attempt to note anything else on Tryggr. Her eyes settled on the amulet. She thanked Odin it didn't seem to have anything written on it. 

Scallop wasn't going to tolerate this any longer. She trotted off, know particular direction in mind. Her rider could come and find her when she needed her, or when she needed more fish, which she knew would be soon. Unfortunately Sol didn't really worry about the dragon running off. She knew the hobblegrunt would stay close enough to keep an eye on her, as the protective dragon always did.

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"Er, no, they don't exactly know I'm here." Tryggr confessed. "They will though, I think. I mean, this aint exactly a private event. Word will get back around eventually. It doesn't matter though. I made up my mind to tell 'em after I bring home the gold."

She gave a weak laugh. "You're dragon doesn't want you in the air, yeah? For safety's sake and all? My folks are much the same way."

"Speakin' of which..." she added pointedly as Scallop left in a huff. She was surprised the merchant didn't go after the hobblegrunt, as she was still carrying all of her product and all. The races would be starting soon and with the crowd filing in now would be the perfect time to make some sales.

Though at the moment the spectators seemed to be busying their mouths with excited chatter and hushed gossip than eating. Tryggr deliberately tried to ignore the outside conversations for the sake of politeness, but she was tempted to eavesdrop a bit, listen to find out what they thought of her and her competition and who they'd be placing their bets on.

From what little she picked up, she knew they were definitely talking dragons, though she heard no sign of Moonseed's name, nor Lockjaw's, nor any recognizable name for that matter.

Nearby a burly viking of fair standing spoke with wide eyes and a gesture away from the raceway to somewhere off Berk's coastline. A small crowd was assembling, their attentions temporarily diverted from the dragons and riders starting to line up in preparation.

[Boom and Lockjaw]

Perhaps predictably unaffected by the violent red of Scallop's shifting scales, Boom hardly seemed to pay the frilled dragon any notice, waving what little was left of her snack back and fourth with a tut-tut-tut and nearly demeaning sneer towards Solvi.
"My girl is around, likes to take it easy before a race. You don't want to undersell a gronckle..." She popped the rest of the snack into her mouth, more inhaling than chewing it - pausing only just long enough to swallow and let the two finish their conversation.

Heaving a ginormous sigh, she rolled her amber eyes skyward as what appeared to be two childhood friends caught up on whatever backwoods chatter those who didn't live in the hub of Berk found interesting. Not that Boom wasn't listening, only that she didn't find it nearly as important as finishing what it was that she had to say.

"If you haven't learned my name yet, you will." Boom leered at Solvi and leaned in closer to the fisher-girl, her teeth flashing in a grin that was more threatening than it was sweet. "Boom Doomhammer at your service, sweetheart."
Service was obviously a word to be heeded with care, retracting herself with a roll back on to her heels.

Her attention was drawn to the procession, favoring it with a peak of her brows and shrug that shimmied into a confident gait as she more waltzed than walked away from the conversation with a half-hearted wave. It was with a sharp whistle that a burnt-umber colored gronckle broke out of the crowd moments later; the beast was clearly saddled for the race, running up and over towards Boom and pressing it's monstrous nose into her palm with a dully contented thrum.

"We've got glory to win, let's bring home the gold." Her fingers scratched at Lockjaw's nose before slipping on to the reigns to lead her creature over towards the assembly line. Amazingly, Boom did look back over her shoulder to look for Tryggr and hollered back in what was more order than request. "C'mon, slick!"