Stergroth landed lightly in front of the stable and said, Do not be long in there G’ran. We have many places to go if we’re to find candidates for this clutch.

G’ran slid down from his mount’s back and replied, “Don’t worry. I’m just going to make sure that her training is going well and make sure that we’ll be ready for the next race.”

The brown snorted and sat down on his haunches and said, Please take into account that if you take too long I may just go and Search on my own.

“That’d be an interesting sight,” G’ran commented as he rolled his eyes and walked into the stable. He heard his mare whinny for him, and he smiled as he walked over to her stall.

The buckskin mare had her nose pressed up to the wire screening, watching her owner with interest. “Hey Umina,” he said as he opened the stall door and slipped the halter over her head.

As he walked her out of the stall and hooked her to the cross ties one of the Weyr’s jockeys walked out of the tack room. “Oh hey G’ran, shouldn’t you be searching right now?”

G’ran looked up to see who was talking to him and smiled when he saw that it was Umina’s jockey Tadren. “Yeah probably,” he said as he looked his mare over. “I wanted to make sure she was getting somewhere. I mean, it’d be nice to actually get out of the gate this time.”

Tadren laughed and said, “Oh we’ve gotten over that a while ago now. I clocked her in the mile the other day and she’s got a minute and three quarters going so I think we’ll be ok by the time the race comes around.”

G’ran nodded and said, “Have you been putting runners next to her while you’re running her? She’s a little uneasy when there are other runners beside her.”

G’ran smiled and patted his mare’s neck after he had looked at her front hooves. “Do you think she’ll place?”

Tadren shrugged and leaned against a stack of hay. “I don’t really know. It depends on who else is entered and how she’s feeling that day. If she decides that she doesn’t want to run you know she’ll just ignore every command I give her.”

G’ran nodded and led her back to her stall. “Well she is Tiynarean bred so I know how her mind is set but if you say her training’s going well then I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it and hope that we do well that day.”

Tadren rubbed his forehead and then asked, “Have you ever thought about breeding her?”

G’ran shut the stall door and turned to face his jockey. “No not really, why?”

Tadren shrugged and said, “Well I got an offer the other day from Amani, wanting to breed Wind and your Umina. I told them no at the time of course, but only because I didn’t know what you would say to the idea.”

G’ran rubbed his chin in thought and said, “Well that would probably be a good cross. Amani’s Wind isn’t Tiynarean bred but he’s got speed and good conformation, while Umina has speed as well. Do you think that we could start a breeding program?”

Tadren shrugged again and said, “I’m not sure but I think it would be a good idea. I mean, there are a lot of good runners here and the offspring would be the fastest around I would think.”

G’ran nodded and said, “Well let me think about what I want to do with her. I’ll get back to you later tonight after I make my Searching rounds.”

Tadren nodded and said, “Ok, I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

G’ran walked out of the stable, smiling as he saw his dragon stand and shake himself off. That took you long enough, he said.

G’ran shrugged and climbed up to Stergroth’s back. “Yeah sorry about that. Let’s get Searching though. I have a feeling today will be a successful day.”

G’ran sat up and watched his dragon wade towards him “What’s going on Stergroth?” he asked when his dragon got out of the lake and shook himself off.

The brown sat down by his rider and said, I am bored G’ran. I’ve talked to every female at this lake and none interest me.

G’ran shrugged and said, “So what? There are a lot of females that don’t interest me either Stergroth. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, it’s not like there aren’t any others besides the ones sitting at the lake this very moment.”

Stergroth snorted and asked, Do you think that I may enter a flight soon?

G’ran laughed and said, “If that’s what you were getting at why didn’t you just say it in the first place?”

Stergroth shrugged and laid down, stretching out his wings so that they would dry. I don’t know rider-mine. May I enter one though?

G’ran laid back down and closed his eyes. “What? This very moment?”

The brown warbled softly and said, Well I did have someone in mind already so yes, this very moment would do I suppose.

G’ran smiled and said, “It can’t possibly wait until later? Like when I’ve finished tanning?”

Stergroth rumbled and said, You’ve been lying out here for almost an hour now and you are already tan as it is. You’ll be able to come out here again tomorrow anyway so I don’t think it will matter if you don’t get fifteen extra minutes of sun today.

G’ran laughed and asked, “Do you always have to get your way?”

Stergroth nudged his rider, trying to get him up, and said, Only when I really want something.

G’ran sat up and said, “Fine, fine who were you thinking of?”

Stergroth looked back out to the lake, obviously conversing with one of the females and then turned back to his rider. I was thinking of gold Kandrith. She is rising now and there are still spots open in her flight.

G’ran rubbed his eyes and asked, “You’re sure you want to fly her? You now you can only enter one at a time.”

Stergroth nodded slightly and said, Yes, I’m sure that I wish to fly the golden Kandrith rider-mine.

G’ran nodded and stood up. “Ok, let’s go sign you up then before all the spots are filled up.”