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Roen · **12-09-2014, 06:29 PM**

A Free-Sworn.

That is what Chachanji Gegenji had called her, the last time they had spoken.

Goldwind slowed into an easy trot as Roen pulled on his reins slightly, the mount and rider approaching the bridge overlooking Frescaâ€™s Wash. The path from Lost Hope to the Royal Plantations was one that Goldwind knew well, so the paladin allowed her bird to make his way there as she let her own mind wander.

She had met the young Lalafell during one of her trips to Stonesthrow, delivering medicine and food. It was his baby piglet that had made the introductions when he ran into her leg and caused her to stumble. After a few broken jars and spilled supplies, Chachanji had helped her in gathering what was salvageable and more importantly, helping to convince Lancelâ€™s father--that proud man--in accepting her offer of alchemical remedies.

Roen could not help but smile a little at the memory, Chachanjiâ€™s twisted expression rising to the fore as he took a finger full of the awful tasting syrupy tincture into his mouth, just to convince the ailing Highlander that if he can take the medicine, so can the older man.

It had worked, Lowell accepted the offering reluctantly.

Since that day, Roen had found herself delighting in their chance encounters. The last time that they had met, she had offered to teach him how to ride properly, for the young aspiring â€˜heroâ€™ had hastily gotten himself a chocobo without even learning how to rightly sit on a saddle. But such was the enthusiasm and excitement that shone in the Lalafellâ€™s young eyes, that she found herself volunteering to instruct him so that he took no more falls off his bird--a tiny chocobo he had named "Avenger."

Not so ready was her response when Chachanji then asked her to teach him the ways of being a paladin. She once swore the Oath of a Sultansworn, only to leave the Order, and now she worked as a Free Paladin, but could not offer her services openly in Thanalan because she could still be arrested if discovered. She knew that Ser Castille was already teaching Chachanji how to fight with a sword and shield, and the Lalafell also had intended to approach Ser Crofte in learning about bravery and vigilance of a Sworn. So what, if anything, had she to offer the boy?

â€œYou can teach me how to halp people,â€ Chachanji had replied to her earnestly.

Roen tried to refuse, but she could not. How could she when all she saw in his face was that eagerness to help others, that pure desire to see to those in need? That ardor she recognized easily enough; it was something that drove her every action when she had first come to Ulâ€™dah. And Chachanji was a bit like she was back then, full of hope that if he just continued to help people, he would achieve all that he desired--that the abstract idea of helping people was all that mattered.

A part of her wondered if that still held true for her now. Her faith in her ideals had been tested many times since, and sometimes she could not help but doubt her own hopes in the face of what seemed like indomitable obstacles. Her mind questioned her heart oft of late, and in rare moments she wondered if she had strayed from the path of virtue and righteousness in her current goals and alliances.

The paladin quickly dismissed the heavy thoughts from her mind as she spotted the Lalafell in the distance, seated on Avenger. A smile easily rose as she looked upon the young paladin-in-training, Goldwind coming to a stop just a couple of fulms away. The larger chocobo let out a happy kweh in greeting, as if mirroring Roenâ€™s own mood--already lighter in the boyâ€™s presence.

â€œYou are early.â€ Roen inclined her head in greeting. â€œThe mark of an eager student.â€ She nodded in approval as she noted how Chachanji sat on Avenger, both the rider and bird much less fidgety since their last lesson. He also sported no more obvious bruises; he had not been falling as much, she gathered.

â€œYou and Avenger have gotten to know each other better, I suspect.â€ The paladin grinned. â€œSo! I propose we do something a little different this day. It should test how well you and Avenger get along.â€ She clapped her hands once, mirth in her eyes. â€œAnd it will be fun.â€

Gegenji · **12-10-2014, 10:57 AM**

All the remnants of Lalafell's musings on Roen's reasons for Paladinhood evaporated immediately once she came into view. He was still quite eager to know the hows and whys of her path, of course, but he was also very eager to find out what the day's lesson plan was. In fact, for whatever reason, the chance at more Chocobo riding tricks seemed a little more appealing than an afternoon focused solely on deep-seated introspection. It was the darndest thing.

"Ah, Ms. Roen! Haldo!" The greeting at her approach was light and cheery, coupled with an energetic wave from his seat that elicited a small, surprised wark from his young mount. That hand was then quickly re-purposed into bashfully fiddling with his Cactaur-shaped earring when she complimented his timeliness, a small chuckle escaping his lips before he was able to respond in a more concrete fashion. "Well, ya said ta come meet ya here, so... so I did."

It was not the most learned of explanations, but it suited the youngest Gegenji just fine. And it was not like the statement, as clumsy as it was, wasn't truthful. Whether it be with his friends or his mentors, Chachanji truly enjoyed spending time with those closest to him. If they were upset, he wanted to cheer them up as best he could. If they were happy, he reveled in that and they were all happy together. Even if it was just a quiet time together, like sharing a seat with his best friend and pseudo-sister Leanne, he was more than content to do so.

If there was an added bonus to it, though, like getting to improve his swordplay or learning how to ride his freshly obtained bird? That was even better. If he likened spending time with those he cared about to being given a piece of cake, then anything extra that helped him climb closer to his heroic goals of heroism was like getting another piece to go with it. Or perhaps it was more like one big piece of cake - a good piece, with frosting and sprinkles and all the other nice stuff. How could you say no to something like that?

Of course, that line of thinking put Chachanji heavily in the mood for sweets. Darndest thing. He broke eye contact with his mentor just long enough to fish a Yellow Drop out of one of his pouches and popped it into his mouth, filling it with a delightful flash of lemon flavor. It was no cake, to be sure, but it was still quite good regardless. Plus, he was going to be getting his figurative cake too now that Miss Roen was here.

He flashed his mentor a happy smile then, one that grew all the wider when Roen all but affirmed that the day's plans included something involving Chocobos. Already, it was starting to look like another happy "double-or-possibly-oversized-figurative-piece-of-cake" day, a term that was in dire need of shortening. Even better, with a cheerful glimmer in her eyes, the Free-Sworn had said it was going to be something fun. Chachanji loved fun!

And friends. And Chocobos. And cake. And Yellow Drops.

... Chachanji liked a lot of things, really.

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Roen · **12-12-2014, 06:23 PM**

The goofy smile on Chachanji's face made Roen answer the boy with her own. As soon as he popped that candy in his mouth his eyes seemed to glaze over, and it was as though happy thoughts bloomed like a great big joyful flower on his face. Watching him relish in such simple joy was contagious.

"One of my favorite things to do when I learned how to ride was to go on long runs. Through the woods, up the mountain trails..." She leaned forward to give Goldwind a pat on the neck. "I think it lets you and your mount have a little fun together. And soon, he becomes your friend."

Roen's smile grew wistful. She remembered running away with on the back of her childhood mount, named Greywind for his dark grey hue, to join the battle at Carteneau so many cycles ago. Greywind had been brave and stalwart even in the face of frightening explosions and the clashing of weapons all around them. More so than she herself had been, as the paladin recalled.

"Avenger has to have as much courage as you do, and sometimes even more so if you falter." The paladin sat straighter in her seat, growing a bit somber. "They can be your best friend sometimes. And they need to be, if they are to help you charge into battle."

"Trust and friendship are not just born out of sharing an understanding and learning together." She blinked at her own words, as she silently reminded herself to practice her own lessons with those she held dear. "You need to have fun now and then." A smile slowly grew as Goldwind stomped once on the dirt with growing anticipation. "So! Today, I have planned a race for us! From here to the Sultantree. There is a trail that leads out near the road, and there are a few obstacles off to the sides, rocks and logs. I want you to jump over at least five of those on your way to the finish."

Goldwind let out an excited warble, craning his neck and flapping his wings. He could always sense when she was in the mood for a fast run; both the rider and the bird always found unabashed glee in trying to outrun the wind.

"Are you ready?" Roen beamed at Chachanji, her challenge punctuated by a high-pitched kweh from her bird.

Gegenji · **12-15-2014, 09:30 AM**

Chachanji paid rapt attention to Roen, which stood in stark contrast to Avenger's frequent - and almost flighty - abrupt changes in what held his interest. A rustling leaf would have the young bird glance in that direction, a mole puttering its way through the low grasses would steal that focus away just as quickly. For every two or three things that caught his eye, though, Avenger would cast a glance towards both his rider and his rider's mentor to ascertain their well-being. And then, certain of the Lalafell's continued care, he would return to eying whatever caught his avian interest next.

"Avenger isn't my friend already?" the youngest Gegenji piped up when the Free-Sworn mentioned it, giving the bird in question a pat on his feathered neck and receiving bright-eyed look in return. The two of them shared a brief bonding moment, youth to youth, as Roen reminisced on Chocobos of the past. Both returned their gazes to her once she started speaking again however, albeit Avenger's eye soon started wandering again in relatively short order.

The Hyur seemed almost psychic as she continued her explanation on both what she meant and the task for the day, which neatly answered the Lalafell's question. It wasn't a matter of just being friends, it was about becoming the best of friends, like he was with Gran or Leanne. Chachan was at least 98.5% certain Gran would remain steadfastly by his side in a heroic battle, and he would certainly need to be just as confident in his mighty steed as well in such situations. Unless he rode Gran, of course, which a couple people had mentioned in passing; that would neatly solve the problem. It would certainly leave Avenger feeling left out, and Chachanji didn't want to leave his new feathered friend out of any impending heroism.

Thoughts on mount options and their opinions quickly melted away into the aether once Roen brought up the idea of a race, however. After all, it was hard to remain focused on such serious concepts as the proper steed to ride into battle when he was being offered the chance to run full tilt astride Avenger with no consequences right now. The number of required jumps sounded suspiciously like an assignment, but the excited Chachanji spent little time dwelling on that fact. Because, come on, it was a race - what was not to be excited about?

"Ah, a race!? Really really?" The lad's almost boundless energy seemed to flow into his mount, and Avenger started doing a little excited dance of his own. The shifting of foot to foot and the flapping of his tiny wings made it look like it was only the Lalafell's grip on the reins that was keeping the Chocobo from starting the race early. Although, with how much the boy was bouncing about in the saddle, it would be rather hard to believe that he had any hand in keeping the bird stationary of all things.

"I'm ready! So ready! The most ready!" Chachanji chimed, as if he wasn't expressing that clearly enough through his quite animated body language. His fervor was echoed by a trilling, excited cry from his little mount. In both word and deed, the little bird and his little rider were quite obviously ready and raring to go.

Roen · **12-16-2014, 05:37 PM**

Roen chuckled at the boyâ€™s excitement. Goldwind echoed the younger birdâ€™s readiness with a wark of his own, stomping and scratching at the dirt ground. They were all causing quite the ruckus! Even Gagari and Hihiyaja, the two Lalafells that were on hand to tend to the Royal Plantations, looked up from their tasks, curious brows raised.

The paladin spun her mount around, lining up alongside Chachanji and Avenger. The two birdsâ€™ symphony of trills echoed across the warm Thanalan afternoon sky, and a thin cloud of dust rose around them as the chocobos bounced about in anticipation.

â€œGagari!â€ Roen called over as the Lalafell farmer came up to the wooden fence. While the Dunefolk farmer usually had a tired air about her, the pending race seemed to perk her interest. Her yellow-orange eyes were curious. â€œCan you start us off?â€ Roen asked her.

Hihiyaja bounced up next to Gagari with a wide grin. â€œOh! A race! Good luck Miss Deneith!â€

Roen answered her with a delighted wink. She had come to know Gigari and Hihiyaja well; they were a kind and understanding pair, even if the hardship of cultivating the dry desert lands oft weighed upon their shoulders. It was good to see them smile.

Gagari climbed up to the top wooden rail, as if to make show of things, and came to a balanced perch on a wooden column. â€œWell, I am cheering for Chachanji!â€ she teased as she raised her hand. â€œReadyâ€¦â€

A dramatic pause. â€œSetâ€¦â€

Roen glanced to Chachanji, assessing his readiness. Goldwindâ€™s top feathers popped straight up at attention, then flattened as the bird lowered his head. She could tell her mount was raring to go, and found herself grinning ear to ear.

The raised hand dropped. â€œGO!â€

Gegenji · **12-17-2014, 10:14 AM**

Chachanji followed his mentor's gaze over to the two Lalafell as they approached the fence and the one named Gagari stepped up to serve as race official. It always amazed him how those he had come to call friends and teachers always seemed to know so many people. Leanne was probably the most notable of this, seemingly able to identify almost everyone they came across - Koporo's older "brother" being the only real exception that stood out for him. He remained almost steadfastly oblivious to the not insignificant number of people he had met during his relatively short time spent in and around the walls of Ul'dah. Instead, he seemed happily content to wonder just how many people Miss Roen might know in comparison to his nice-hat-wearing best friend.

While his rider's mind was fully off in la-la land (or perhaps Lala land?), Avenger was paying much more attention to the matters at hand. Despite not knowing the exact content of the babbling going back and forth between the small group of unfeathered ones, he knew that there was going to be running in the near future. So, while Chachanji silently tried to guess how many people Miss Roen knew, his mount fluffed up with anticipation and pawed at the dusty ground. The shout from one of the newly approached smaller ones startled Avenger a bit, but still sent him off running alongside the much larger Goldwind. The sudden burst to motion also helped to forcibly jostle the young Lalafell from his myriad musings and back to the important matter of the race.

"Ah! Wh-what what?" he yelped, instinctively grabbing on the reins and pulling back to slow his bird down. Avenger complied, albeit with a confused wark, and reduced his initial mad dash to a sluggish trot. Chachanji instantly regretted the decision once he realized that the race had started while he had been daydreaming. "Oh! Hey, I wasn't ready!"

With a childish grunt, the Lalafell goaded his mount back into motion to try and close the sizeable gap that had already been created from his momentary distraction. Goldwind was larger and had longer strides, and thus had been able to cross quite the distance in just those few steps. Avenger, while a decent bit smaller, had the benefits of being young, spry, and possessing almost as much energy as its rider. With Chachanji's silent approval to go all out, the young Chocobo lowered his head to assume a faster, more streamlined form.

"H-hey!" Chachanji shouted again over the whipping wind buffeting his face as he drew back into what he assumed was earshot of the lady Hyur. "Y-you better jump over stuff too! It ain't fair if'n only I hafta do it!"

As if to emphasize that point, the Lalafell yanked Avenger's reins off to the side to aim his bird towards the first of his obstacles. His game plan? To do all five of his "busywork" jumps right away so they'd be over and done with. That way he could focus on just going fast all the way to the Sultantree! It was the perfect plan!

His first jump,Â however, was merely a small rock that even his little Chocobo could easily step over without incident. Chachanji made a show of leaping grandly over it, though, as if it were some giant boulder instead of something he could probably fit in one of his belt pouches. Should Miss Roen question the validity of it, though, he was more than willing to state that it "totally counted." It was a rock after all, which had been on her short list of obstacles, and he had totally jumped over it as directed.

One jump down, four more to go! The youngest Gegenji guided his bird towards a more respectable obstacle next: a fallen log. And even with that more impressive threat coming up fast, Chachanji was already looking forward for the next one. His violet eyes alighted on the Dispatch Yard - surely there would be plenty of things to jump over there!

Roen · **12-20-2014, 11:18 PM**

Roen did not even have to urge Goldwind; at the word GO, her mount darted forward, strides quickly lengthening to a full sprint. The paladin instinctively leaned forward as the bird began to pick up speed.

â€œI wasnâ€™t ready!â€

She glanced back to see that Chachanji had fallen behind. Avenger wore a quizzical look, as if confused as to why he was slowing down. While Roen eased just slightly in her seat, she did not slow down her mount either; she had watched them long enough to know that the little bird and rider had the capacity for a quick burst of speed to catch up.

And despite the fact that this race was supposed to be fun, it was still a lesson in riding after all!

The paladin glanced back again to watch in delight as Chachanji made his first jump. She couldnâ€™t quite see what he was jumping over, was there a rock thereâ€¦? But the form was good, and he had made a grand show of it too. Roen chuckled and veered Goldwind towards the Dispatch Yard. Once the two raised platforms came into view, she could see Goldwindâ€™s feather prickle upwards just slightly...and she could not help but share in her bird's mischievous impulse.

Roen would never consider herself prone to impishness. She did not like the thought of causing other people alarm nor did she derive enjoyment from seeing people fumble or falter. But there were moments in her childhood -- and usually it was when she was riding or doing "something non-girly," much to her mother's chagrin. An idea would spark in her mind, and the appeal of it grew like wildfire, and she was forced to commit to it lest it was lost to disappointment.

This was one of those moments. Roen veered Goldwind onto the railway track, following its course toward the two platforms that flanked it at the station.

The first obstacle was a 'No Entry' sign that stood as firm warning to any who approached near. Both Goldwind and Roen gave it no thought and gleefully leaped over it. Then she turned her bird sharply, the chocobo racing up the steps of the platform. Roen had the merest moment to give a rueful (and perhaps apologetic) grin to the two guards there -- both who could only stare at her with widened eyes. Goldwind's feet skidded against stone as Roen turned her bird sharply left again, only a few fulms away from the two Stone Torches, urging the bird for a long airy jump over two barrels and a vase that stood on the edge.

They landed on the dirt beyond leaving a cloud of dust in their wake, and Goldwind let out a hoot of pleasure as he continued to race down the road. Roen half wondered if Chachanji would take a similar course; there was an instant pang of doubt that she chose the course that she did. A risky course was not something she should have set as an example for her young pupil. Roen knew her childhood teachers would have looked askance and scowled. She was a rather restless student back then, full of daydreams -- a world of grand adventures set before her as challenges to be bested.

Now that the tables were turned, Roen could not help but feel slightly guilty at her misadventures as a child.

With that thought in mind, she glanced over her shoulder to see how the Lalafell and Avenger were faring.

Gegenji · **12-22-2014, 10:08 AM**

It seemed like Ms. Roen had made similar plans to Chachanji's, and he watched as she too peeled off towards the Dispatch Yard ahead of him. The young Lalafell even got to see her first obstacle to jump - a much more respectable, and a bit more poetically poignant, "No Entry" sign. Having jumped over both a very small rock and a log - two of the five required obstacles - the youngest Gegenji seemed ready and willing to try for the sign as his third. As he rapidly drew closer, however, he noted it was a bit higher up than the log and definitely much higher up than the rock.

He reasoned, however, that if his teacher had managed to jump it, then so could he! With that sort of determined mindset at the forefront, Chachanji goaded his mount into picking up a little bit of extra speed to ensure a much more powerful jump. And jump Avenger did, albeit clipping the sign a bit with his talons considering he only barely cleared it. While not race-ending, the mid-air trip managed to send the Chocobo stumbling a bit as he landed, jostling his rider quite a bit in his saddle. They lost a bit of momentum as well as they tried to keep from sprawling over, but the two managed to recover awkwardly enough.

Avenger got little time to breathe, however, as he was immediately ushered after Roen and Goldwing, both of whom had only gained an even greater lead following that botched landing. They were still well enough in sight at least, and Chachanji made to follow their path up the stairs and hopefully close the gap. The barrels were immediately right out as jumping targets - the fact somehow managing to override Chachan's "I can do it if you can" mindset - but the vase was squat enough that the Lalafell was willing to risk it. His caution was well-rewarded, considering the young Chocobo's feet didn't get up high enough to have cleared the barrels. Had Chachanji been too ambitious, both he and his mount would've ended up face-first in the dirt.

Since he had deigned not to, however, Avenger landed neatly enough with his own, smaller cloud of dust kicking up to join the first. Since Goldwind's had not settled quite yet, it elicited a cough from both mount and rider as they erupted from the dusty haze and down the path after Ms. Roen. They certainly had a lot of ground to make up, but at least they only had to jump over one more obstacle!

The departure of both racers was watched by the two guards, who moved to the end of the platform to observe the retreating shapes of both birds and riders. One of them - a rather stout-looking Roegadyn by the name of Curled Fist, or "Curly" to his friends - looked down at his partner. Quite far down, indeed, since the other guard was a Lalafell. A helmet-less Lalafell sporting a bowl cut that most likely would've defied any attempts to contain it.

"Sh-should we go after them, Mo?" he asked, his gravelly voice tinged with a nervousness that belied his newness to the position.

"With what, boulder-brains?" Mostuji Thristuji responded irately, slapping the recruit's shin with the back of his armored hand. "Our feet?"

"Well, I just thought-"

"Well there's yer problem!" Mo interjected sharply. "Yer here to guard, not think! Thinkin's my job! And I'm thinkin' we didn't see nothing, you get me?"

"O-oh, uh, sure thing, Mo."

It was about that time that their third, a lanky Midlander named Larson, returned with their lunches. With the concept of a filling meal to break up an otherwise dull posting - minus the two Chocobo riders they totally didn't see - all other thoughts fell quickly to the wayside. After all, Curly was happy to note, Larson had managed to bag them some pretzels.

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Roen · **12-29-2014, 01:59 AM**

Roen had to half-turn in her seat to watch Chachanji jump over the fence--and then the vase--the little chocobo and his rider breaking through the cloud of dust after their landing.

The paladin grinned wide with pride; the Lalafell youth had learned so fast! Avengerâ€™s outstretched neck showed the little bird's eager enthusiasm to keep up with Goldwind--if not surpass him entirely. Its small feet dug in the dirt with startling quickness, tossing rocks in its wake as it began to gain more speed.

She turned her attention back to the road ahead, the impressive looming form of the Sultantree rising in the distance. Giant cords of bark and root twisted around each other, digging into the dirt like the hand of a giant gripping the earth. Its countless branches opened up into the sky, leaves and boughs nearly eclipsing the blue canvas above, the Sultantree seeming to continue to grow taller as she approached.

Roen suddenly recalled that she still had three more obstacles to jump over. Don't get distracted! She glanced about but found boulders and fences unfortunately lacking. She swerved off the beaten path towards the Sultantree, eyes scanning the area for anything she might use, but only saw a giant tortoise feeding on a patch of grass and a few snapping shrews and hornets.

One corner of the paladinâ€™s lips tugged toward a daring grin as she leaned forward, pulling on the reins to steer her chocobo toward the tortoise. Goldwind gave a low questioning wark at the new obstacle, but complied and veered sharply, talons kicking up more gravel.

Luckily, the tortoise did not seem to notice (or care) that a chocobo and Hyur were racing toward it at an alarming speed. If it could think, it likely would have believed no one would be foolish enough to charge a giant tortoise whilst riding a chocobo, and so it kept grazing on the flowers, not bothering to move. Only when the rider and the bird were three fulms from its face did it deign to peel an eye at the two; its maw only paused briefly in its idle chewing as the golden-feathered bird launched itself into the air, its extended legs arching over the terrapinâ€™s scaled head.

The chewing commenced as the paladin and chocobo continued to race away.

Roen laughed out loud, sparing a glance back at the immobile tortoise. She leaned to the right, to lead Goldwind toward the last two jumps: a snapping shew and a huge hornet buzzing low to the ground. But her hope that these were going to be a quick detour at best was dashed when the two creatures she had marked to leap over clearly saw her approach and started to dart away--as any normal creature would.

The paladin grimaced as she found herself giving chase to the two creatures to just try and jump over them. The shew was easy enough to catch, but the hornet was quick to zig-zag and flit away. It was only after she chased it around a tree, cutting off its flight path with a sharp left that she got lucky and leaped over it. Goldwind let out a quick snort of triumph, as if happy to say that nothing was going to outrun him.

Nothing except perhaps Avenger and Chachanji.

By the time she had cleared the last jump, the youth and his bird had gained greater strides toward the Sultantree, passing them. Roen shook her head at her poor choice of targets, but stillâ€¦it was fun!

â€œHyah!â€ She flicked the reins, taking Goldwind into a full sprint toward the younger riders and the Sultantree.

Gegenji · **12-29-2014, 11:23 AM**

There was an immense sense of glee and pride in the little Lalafell as he finally managed to catch up to, and overtake, his riding instructor. It was only tempered by a slight awe at having watched Goldwind approach and subsequently leap over an absolutely massive tortoise. And they didn't even clip the shell or anything! It was definitely not something Chachanji and the tiny Avenger could pull off, that was for sure!

It certainly made him want to have his last jump to be something impressive, though. Everything beforehand had been pretty mundane: a rock, a log, a sign, and a vase. Meanwhile, Roen was going after things like giant turtles and bees. He briefly thought of imitating her again, but the last incident he had with the over-sized insects in the area quickly turned him off that idea. He could probably fight them off now that he had undergone as much training as he had with Ser Warren, but he didn't relish the idea of trying to do it from atop a fleeing Chocobo.

In his mind's eye, he could see Avenger and himself thundering away from the Sultantree, the little Lalafell swinging his blade wildly at a literal cloud of irate bees that hounded their every step. With the buzzing and the flailing of stingers and those multifaceted eyes, each section of them filled with hate and malice. It sent a shuddering chill down the youngest Gegenji's spine and he was quick to shake his head sharply in a desperate attempt to dismiss such thoughts. He had to focus on that last jump!

As with his mentor, his worried gaze returned little in the ways of options as the Sultantree loomed ever-larger in front of him. The Spineless Basin was more or less a straight, featureless shot to the mound of land upon which the quite sizable plant made its home. Other than the wandering beasts he was already rather against trying to jump, there was only the sparse trees that sprouted up here and there as potential obstacles. And if Chachanji couldn't clear a tortoise, he certainly couldn't clear a fully-grown tree. Their roots plunged into the earth quickly in their desperate thirst for water as well, so trying to jump one of those was also out of the question.

Plus, something like that wouldn't be nearly cool enough for his last jump.

The young Lalafell had to figure out something quick, though. Even if he made it to the Sultantree first, which he seemed on the fast track to doing at the withering pace Avenger was setting, he's still lose if he didn't get all five of his jumps done! Just thinking that he'd fail because of some dumb extra rules set Chachanji to pouting and grumbling from his mounted perch - despite his current lead only existing due to Roen following those selfsame rules. He kept glancing about for that final obstacle, but there was a heavy sulk evident in his shoulders and overall posture.

C'mon, stupid nonexistant awesome fifth jump, where were you!?

Roen · **01-02-2015, 09:59 PM**

Roen was certain that Chachanji would win the race. There was a certain amount of pride that swelled in her chest as she saw him streak toward the Sultantree, Avenger leaving a long trail of dust in his wake. Roen spurred Goldwind onward in a full sprint toward the finish, but she was racing through an unpaved path, while Chachanji was on the main road--and much closer to the looming tree.

Exceptâ€¦the paladin found herself closing that gap. As she neared the road, she could see that the Lalafell youth had slumped in his seat, his head hung low. And Avenger had sensed the soured mood of the rider. and the young birdâ€™s enthusiasm was waning to mirror that of Chachanjiâ€™s.

It took a moment before Roen realized why: Chachanji was glancing about his surroundings frantically. He had not made that last jump. Roen herself had to resort to chasing creatures to do it, and likely that prospect did not appeal to him after watching the result of her choices. And now, even as they neared the end of the race, the young Lalafell looked defeated. The paladin pursed her lips in thought, before a new grin tugged at her lips lopsidedly.

Goldwind let out a quizzical mrh as Roen tugged on the reins and veered them away from the direct path to the Sultantree. Instead, she guided her bird in a straight line toward the road that Chachanji and Avenger were on. With the younger riderâ€™s slowing pace, Roen knew they had a chance of crossing the road just in front of her pupil.

Roen put two fingers between her lips and let out a sharp whistle when she and Goldwind came within hearing distance of the younger pair. â€œChachanji! Think fast!â€

With that she lowered herself close to Goldwindâ€™s back, and her bird lowered its head, as if sensing what was about to happen. Either Chachanji had to be quick to react...

Else there was going to be a fantastic collision of two sprinting chocobos.

Gegenji · **01-05-2015, 11:26 AM**

Chachanji hadn't even noticed Avenger's slowing pace, oblivious to anything but the looming Sultantree ahead and the utter lack of awesome jumping choices. His pout was legendary at this point, his lower lip jutting out grandiosely as he glanced left and right over and over again, hoping that he had missed something, anything he could use for that fifth and final jump. He was even debating doubling back and trying one of the beasties that Roen had settled on.

And it was that selfsame Hyur that snapped him out of his dreary dejection as her sharp whistle reached his ears. He glanced about wildly, though this time it was for the source of the sudden, harsh sound. His mentor's call turned his violet gaze towards her rapidly approaching form. A form that, as it closed, lowered its overall clearance level as if...

The little Lalafell had little time to dwell on exactly what Roen was doing. Reacting mostly on instinct, he yanked sharply on Avenger's reins and urged the little Chocobo into a sudden jump. The young bird warked in alarm at the sudden command, but obeyed nonetheless.

Time seemed to slow as the jump occurred, the two Chocobos occupying the same space in every dimension but the vertical. So close was the leap itself that Avenger's scaly toes brushed against Roen's back, the sharp talons and the bird's legs itself curled up tight in a desperate bid for a couple extra ilms of air. Then it was like stop motion as Avenger's forward foot extended again, reaching out for the familiarity of the road on the other side.

It landed solidly, Avenger's talons digging deep for purchase into the dirt. Another bounding step and the other foot did the same. Left... right... left, right. The stubborn little Chocobo found his footing and continued forward towards the Sultantree.

Meanwhile, astride the mount and looking quite shocked at what had just happened, was Chachanji.Â He blinked once, twice. He glanced over his shoulder towards the form of his mentor who, even now, was guiding Goldwind back towards their proper objective. And the little Lalafell grinned widely before letting out an excited whoop and pumping a tiny fist into the air.

"That. Was. AWESOME!"

Roen · **01-08-2015, 08:05 PM**

Chachanjiâ€™s gleeful hollering echoed into the afternoon sky, and Roen nearly joined him in his loud cheer. The jump was a close one; she felt Avengerâ€™s feet brush up against her back and was grateful that the bird had enough sense to curl his talons inward. But as she saw them both land past her and dart toward the Sultantree, she could not help but grin from ear to ear. She turned Goldwind back around, her mount letting out a snort as it continued to give chase to the rider ahead of them.

But Roen found herself sitting back in her seat, relaxing into the saddle rather than the crouched racing pose she had held, as she pictured her younger self racing ahead of them. Was it twelve cycles ago? Or more? She remembered laughing and cheering into the cool wintry air as she cleared five jumps down a slippery wet slope in the mountains overlooking her familyâ€™s manse. Back then, she had imagined herself charging heroically into some battle, dodging obstacles along the way as she raced to save someone in need.

Of course that was back when her life was filled only with tall empty hallways, cold stone floors, stern words from her teachers, and the muted gaze of a mournful father who refused to meet her eyes. After her motherâ€™s passing, a home that had been filled with love and laughter only gave hollow echoes to the distant memories of a life that once had been.

A child of less than ten-winters, Roen had taken to imagining heroic adventures beyond the vaulted ceilings and the towering walls. She took to riding, something that her mother had taught her, with fervor. She took up practicing sword fighting with the servants -- those who were kind enough to humor the girl who was eagerly swinging a wooden sword in the air. But it was racing down the hill her chocobo -- a valued Ishgardian import then -- that made her feel truly free.

A wistful smile lifted her expression as Roenâ€™s attention returned back to the present... just in time to see Chachanji reach the Sultantree. Goldwind had given them quite the chase, even if the paladin had been lost in her own memories. Roen tugged on the reins as she came to a stop shortly behind them, beaming at her pupil.

â€œWell done, Chachanji!â€ She clapped as she hopped off Goldwind. â€œThat jump was fantastic!â€ She approached the Lalafell and his bird, her hand clasped in front of her. â€œYou and Avenger are certainly ready to race into any battle after that race. How do you feel?â€

Gegenji · **01-09-2015, 09:35 AM**

Chachanji was still both inwardly and outwardly squeeing over that last jump when Avenger crossed the "finish line," pulling lightly on the young bird's reins and turning to face his mentor with quite the delighted smile plastered on his features. Finishing first was almost an afterthought after that harrowing and hair-raising last second leap, though the little Lalafell would be remiss if he denied feeling at least a little bit of victorious tickle in doing so. It was just that jump overshadowed it quite a bit, as he was quick to gush over it once questioned on the matter.

"That... that was awesome!" Chachanji repeated with almost as much zeal before, gripping Avenger's reins tight in his little hands. While Roen was dismounted, the mounted Lalafell still only reached eye level with her, which made the excited glimmer in his violet orbs all the more apparent to her. Of course, his level of excitement was pretty apparent even without that subtle hint. "I was all sad 'bout not bein' able ta make that last jump and then ya were there 'n I jumped 'n... 'n... eeeeee..."

Avenger merely glanced over his feathered shoulder to look at his youthful rider, doing a sort of happy little dance in his saddle. The youngest Gegenji would've rode on that adrenaline high for quite some time if a stray thought hadn't occurred to him. By serving as the last jump, either the Hyur believed she could've easily overtaken him in the final stretch or she had thrown the race. While he wanted to believe in the former, considering how closely Goldwind had finished behind him, that latter threatened to dampen his good mood until he got it answered.

"Um... Miss... err... Miss Roen," he stammered a bit, both still a bit wound up from the excitement and nervous about asking the question. "Was it... was it akay fer ya ta do that? Ya totally coulda won if'n ya hadn't done that."

Chachanji had a bit of an inkling as to why she would've done it even before he presented the question. After all, he had been so insistent on learning from her because she had a kindness and caring that he felt was crucial to the kind of Paladin he wanted to be. Even throwing a race so that her pupil could succeed was something he could easily see her doing. Perhaps that's why the idea nagged at him so much - he found himself wondering how much of the victory was under his own merit and how much of it was out of Roen's kindness.

Though, finding out that she had wouldn't have lessen his view of her in his young eyes, of course. In fact, it had potential to segue into another lesson for the little Lalafell. Knowing when to step and help, and when to let someone overcome something under their own power was something Chachanji continued to grapple with. It was most likely the cause of his one big fight with Leanne, and gotten him into a couple terse conversations with Aiden at times. Not to mention his first big pout-fest had been over trying to help too many people at once and, in doing so, just running himself ragged.

Perhaps there was much more weight and purpose behind that stuttered question than little Chachanji had first intended. And, perhaps, it would lead into the other question he had been tasked into asking of his mentors. This was quickly turning into quite the leading question indeed.

Roen · **01-13-2015, 01:57 AM**

Roen could see the slow waning of her young pupilâ€™s elation as he stuttered out the question. His nervous energy gave her pause, making the paladin give Chachanjiâ€™s shifting expression a second look. There was more behind that question, and when she realized it, she found herself at a bit of a loss.

She could have won. But that was never the real point of this outing. When they started the race, she was fully prepared to give him the toughest competition yet. The thought of throwing the race--if that was what she did--hadnâ€™t even crossed her mind. She just saw that Chachanjiâ€™s spirit was taking a turn for the worse towards the end, and race or no, she needed to fix it.

But were she in Chachanjiâ€™s position, the last thing she would want is her opponent to throw the contest. The joy of victory needed to stand on its own merit to be truly enjoyed. Would she tell him it was all a big lesson? Was there some deep meaning she wanted to impart in her choice of actions? She was his mentor now after all, shouldnâ€™t she have some profound guidance to impart? When Roen realized that none of these thoughts went through her head as she decided to serve as his last obstacle, that it was purely driven by instinct, she just smiled sheepishly.

â€œIt just felt like the right thing to do.â€ Roen gave him a small shrug. She chewed her lips slightly, not quite happy with that simple answer. â€œAnd Goldwind was still pretty confident that he could still catch up to you both...so I thought it would be a close race either way.â€ She glanced over her shoulder to her bird, who responded with a spirited kweh and a flutter of his wings in response. Turning her attention back to the youth at hand, the paladin thought for a moment longer, trying to make sense of her own intuition. â€œSometimes you just need to go with your gut. Just like that last jump you made, you did not think on the hows or whys, you just did it. Because it needed to be done. And when you succeeded, it felt wonderful.â€

â€œNow, jumping over something to avoid a collision and doing the right thing are not the same.â€ She canted her head, expression softening. â€œBut in both instances I have always felt that you do what comes naturally to you. What you feel driven to do. In time, experience will temper your judgement and mold you instincts.â€ She reached over to stroke Avengerâ€™s head feathers. â€œHad I not known how to gauge your riding skills from watching you, I doubt I would have felt compelled to run directly into your path.â€

Roen gave Chachanji another sidelong glance, as if to take measure of his response to her words. This was partly why she had hesitated in accepting a pupil. She never thought of herself as someone wise, or learned in ways of paladinhood. But he seemed so eager, and he reminded her so much of herself that she could not refuse. And now, as she heard her own words, she wondered if those were the lessons she would impart onto her younger self. Would she still say the same knowing what she does now? To trust in her instincts even in the face of adversity? Even if it would lead to lessons she was not prepared for? Some that were almost too painful to bear?

The paladin shook her head suddenly as if to shake away her doubts. She needed not delve into her own life while teaching the youth. Roen smiled again, this time more brightly, trying to revive the exuberance of the race.

â€œYou did well, Chachanji. Else you would not have won the race. You should be proud of yourself.â€

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