Timestamp: The eighth brightening in Aperitus in the Season of Summer, Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum, the Second Era of the Regency of Milo L'Evienne. – Afternoon
Continued from A Gift
Gitana ran, grabbing her brightly colored skirts in her hands as they hampered her long strides. The barbs of the talvia wrapped about her waist jingled with each hard-hit step, and for a moment the gypsy wished she hadn't worn her shoes--that she could feel the ground beneath her feet, warm and welcoming. But she didn't and it didn't matter--all that mattered was that she ran and behind her was her prala, somewhere, either still fumbling about in the vardo with his tattooing tools or scrambling to catch up with her. It wouldn't be hard, catching up; he was a shade taller, stronger, his strides longer...and he didn't wear skirts or have bibaxt, as she did.
But she'd gotten a head start and grinning, she didn't look over her shoulder because she was newly marked with a gecko, a tattoo of a green creature outlined with dark black. A gift from her brother. The gecko would be her luck, her brother had said as much, and she ran now with luck sitting perched on her shoulder, tucked beneath the carefully secured bandages, set there by Jehan himself. Beat her in a race? Hah! She'd show him. She and Kizzy.
"Kizzy! Come, odjus," she cooed to the beautiful white and red colorwash. The horse sidled a little, startled by Gitana, who hadn't stopped running until she'd reached the mare's side. She was tied to the side of her family's vardo beside Jehan's mount. Nimble fingers worked hard to undo those knots and she bit at her lip as she worked them loose quickly. She didn't need to stare at them to know how to unwork them and she stared back where she'd left Jehan. Surely he had caught up by now.
WIth a squeal of delight, the knot came free and Gitana used the side of the vardo to help haul herself up onto the mare's back. A click of her tongue, a squeeze of her heels against Kizzy's sides, and they were off, the horse into a walk, then a trot, a canter. And then she was flying.
Flying. The wind whipped at her hair and Gitana stopped looking for her brother, simply let the wind drag at her as she bent close to Kizzy's neck and used the loose rope of the halter to guide Kizzy towards the cherry grove.