Closed [Event 41st] Some like it Hot

[Lian Windrunner]

"Seventy."

The response was swift, almost reflexive. Lian scowled at Shahar briefly, but the look soon shifted to a more neutral expression. Mostly. As much as Lian wanted to, he couldn't fault the other man for bidding on a zibri that he wanted.
And had Lian not wanted the calf himself, he wouldn't be tempted to make a bid on the animal just because Shahar had. Probably. Lian supposed that theory would be tested the first time Shahar placed a bid on something Lian himself had no interest in. In this case, though, he wasn't going to back down. He wanted that calf.

While looking over the animals available for auction, Lian had heard many different things. White zibri were better than other colors because their lighter wool made it easier for them to deal with the heat of even the hottest summer, and their wool was easier to dye any color that might be desired. Others said that the color of a zibri's fur didn't matter because natural colors were just as nice as dyed ones, and you didn't have to buy the dye needed to dye the wool. What mattered to many of those people was how much milk a cow could produce, and the quality of said milk. Or the size of the cow was important because that was supposed to affect the animal's ability to bear calves in some way. Or bigger cows produced bigger calved which meant more meat. Still others said that a pregnant cow was more valuable than one that was not because you got two animals for the price of one. Yet others claimed that the important thing was whether a cow had born calves before or not, and if they had, the ease in which they birthed said calves.

Having never owned a herd of zibri himself, or spent much time around his father's herd when his father was alive, Lian had no real way of knowing what really was important, and what was not. So he hoped to get a variety of zibri today. And by buying calves, he would learn how to care for them properly as they grew. With luck, by the time they were fully grown, and Lian wasn't able to simply carry them to where he wanted them to be, he will have learned how to herd the animals, and tell them where to go when he needed to move them.

And if he managed to outbid Shahar on the animals that he wanted...well, so much the better. The man had played a part in taking his kids away from him when he had given Seirei shelter. Taking the animals Shahar wanted away from him wasn't anywhere near on the same level, but perhaps it would be some small payback..
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[Colt]

More than one auction going at the same time made for a noisy crowd. Shahar, as usual, didn’t like it one bit, but Snow’s enthusiasm for the entire ordeal surprised him. Where he was drained by the clamor, she was energized by it, head swiveling this way and that to listen to the bids and calls as animals were presented and demanded. Her excited observation was almost infectious, and it burned away his discomfort like old grass.

Naiya made her way over and touched him gently, supportively, shaping words with her hands; this calf was not as important as others, and this was the Windrunner they were competing with. There were more productive ways to spend money on this day.

The scowl Lian shot over was not lost on Shahar, who met it with a willing to stand against. He didn’t want to actively aggravate the man, but neither did he have any intention of backing down from aggression. Snow sensed the silent exchange and sent a brief, nervous inquiry, but Shahar replied with a calming safe, remain strong, discuss later away.

The calf was not worth one hundred and seventy mizas to the Dawnwhispers.

Yield, Shahar said to their auctioneer before turning to Naiya. Another beast, perhaps.

A woman had made her was over and was conversing with them. She was a stranger to Shahar, but quite clearly not so to Naiya; Snow turned her head and yipped a curious greeting to Pearl, quite at ease with Naiya’s ease and eager to meet a new friend.

[Amunet]

She remained focused on this auction. She heard the 115 bid. The girl being so short she was out front so she could see. Pearl upped the bid to 120 silver. 'Interesting'

Her head turned around as Pearl suddenly melted away. Amunet could not see where she went off to or why. The young lady was curious, but this wasn't a time for curiosity as her focus returned to the auction. "125 silver." Amunet raised her voice. The value of the meat was well worth the bid.

The girl thought she heard familiar voices, but bargaining did require a bit of concentration. Those blue eyes were trained on the auctioneer.

[Naiya]

Gratitude met her invitation, the woman finding a path through the crowd easily enough. When she caught sight of Naiya's expression though, her tone changed.

"Oh you little sneak," Pearl exclaimed on her approach, Naiya's own response a mischievous smile. As if goaded into action, Pearl upped the bid once more, stealing the cow from beneath Naiya's feet and the redhead could only laugh.

The corner of her eye caught a subtle shifting in Snow's behavior, she turned her head to her husband, who was seemingly facing down the Windrunner man. She added the weight of her unspoken support to her husband's claim. She wasn't sure what was the trouble, but she was sure Shahar was in the right of it. Lian had seemed like a kind enough man when they had met on the strange journey in the underbelly of Semele, but the days that followed had shown Naiya otherwise. She disliked the man now, and was more than pleased that her husband had stood behind her decision to offer Seirei their protection.

After some consideration Naiya was not privy to, Shahar yielded the calf to the man. Deciding, perhaps, that the more common coat made her not worth the trouble or the cost. Agreement, good decision, happy, she told Shahar. Her signing to him did not slow her speaking to pearl.

"I am quite well, thanks to a particular doctor. My leg hardly bothers me at all these days." She was grateful her words ringing with a light touch of true sincerity, and they would hopefully clue Shahar in about who this woman was. "How fares your family? Does the little one like his birthday gift?" Naiya asked, inquiring after the quill vest Dravite had commissioned her to make.

Before she could respond, a child at her elbow distracted her, and Naiya waited patiently. It only made sense that such a skilled doctor was in high demand, especially considering the way the men behaved. Naiya's face fell with the woman's the urgency in her prompting understanding, concern in Naiya.

Pearl moved away to speak to the man who sought her, and as she did, the bidder from before, was it Amunet? She thought she recognized the voice... Amunet bid once more on the cow, five further silvers.

Naiya smiled, five was not so large a bid, she raised a hand, five more she told the auctioneer, bringing the bid to one hundred and thirty silver. She turned to Shahar then, her smile having not faded, but seeming to shine with a different light when her gaze fell to his. "I wonder how that cow might change our herd." She explained curious wonder and mild interest shaping her hands, "What is it worth for that? One cow's price? One and half again? "What if she isn't good for breeding the zibri? Do we want to raise cows for meat and milk alone?"

She paused, realizing she was rambling on about too many things that had not come to pass. Apology, she signed after a few ticks had passed, overly excited by the events of the day.

[Lian Windrunner]

When Shahar yielded the bid to him, it felt good. One hundred seventy silver mizas, or seventeen gold mizas was well worth it. It wasn't that much more than a calf was usually worth, and the satisfaction Lian felt at outbidding Shahar was worth two mizas. More than that, though, Lian wanted that particular calf more than he wanted some of the others he planned to bid on.

This particular calf was curious about the world around her. She wasn't afraid of the Drykas who came to look at her as long as they moved slowly, and didn't make too much noise. With as little experience as he had with zibri, Lian felt that having a calf who was afraid of him might prove more difficult than it was worth. In some ways, she reminded him of Lukar, and Lira. They were eager to explore the world around them, too.

Lian glanced at Shahar. The other man was standing with his wife, Naiya. Lian remembered her from last season when they had to work together to escape some underground caves. At the time, Lian had been impressed with her. Now, though, anger overrode any other emotion when he saw her. Shahar might be the ankal of their family, and as such, it was his decision to offer Seirei shelter, but she could have at least tried to persuade the man into turning his captive...former captive away.

If Shahar looked at Lian again, he would nod once at the man, and signal "gratitude" before turning his attention back to the auctioneer. Lian was furious at him for aiding Seirei, and helping her take his kids away from him, but that was that, and this was this. Shahar could have turned the calf into a bidding war...much the way Lian had been prepared to do. Had that happened, the cost of the calf might have spiraled beyond what Lian could afford to pay for her. Instead, he hadn't taken up Lian's bait. And that was what he was grateful for..
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[Amunet]

Amunet didn't have a herd. Not of her own anyway. The pavilion herd her father managed very carefully for wool and leather as well as food. The cow was no more than meat for her and the Pavilion. A cow that was good for just meat was not worth the breeding stock and she didnt feel it was worth the mizas to experiment with. Not without permission of her family.

The girl conceded the bid. Amunet gave the indication that she backed down from the bidding. She was looking for resources, not experiments or maybes.

[Tribal]

Koda’s wife looked like she was having a lot of fun playing the two gentlemen off against each other and trying to squeeze out another bid or two with comments like “She’ll make a fine cow!” And, “I know a promising calf when I see one." Fortunately the two men seemed to have settled relatively low and a bid of one hundred and seventy silver won Lian Windrunner the calf, “All bids are final! Seventeen gold miza for number seventy-eight,” Ringrose beamed and jotted it down in her notes before moving on.

“Thirteen gold for calf number three, six, one,” Koda chimed not long after, scribbling something in his notebook, “Now that’s what I call a bidding war!” He grinned.

Amunet started the bidding on number 118 which was swiftly raised by Shahar, countered by Lian and finished up after Naiya won the calf for thirty gold pieces, doing the same for number 66, before Lian won 190 with thirty gold.

A young man in a long cloak that didn’t seem right in the hot weather walked away with number 3, 273, and 512 without any competition and Naiya paid a total of sixty gold for the pair of white calves that were the envy of the rest of the bidders.

When it came to the horses, Shahar didn’t have too much competition in fighting for number 22, an old mare who looked as if she could do with a nice quiet home and a good brush. “Sixty-seven,” Koda agreed and jotted down the bid, “She still has life in her yet!”

Merevaika was new to the bidding when it came to number 69 and paid a handsome one hundred and fifty gold for the mare, “A fine horse!” Ringrose beamed, “You might want to get that hoof seen to sooner than later; she looks to be limping, though I’m sure it’s an easy fix.”

Time seemed to fly by and soon two bells had passed.

With Shahar winning number 37 for eighty-nine gold miza, Koda and Ringrose each moved on to the young colt and filly they were eager to sell to good homes. “Come on folks, look at this beautiful young, Strider colt,” Koda encouraged, “Number two-hundred, who will start the bidding at seventy-five gold for me?” Just as the auctioneer look out into the crowd the young colt stretch his neck out to nip Koda’s behind, which was met with a bout of laughter from the people standing nearest to him, “A mere love bite!” Koda grinned, cringing through the pain.

“And four-forty,” Ringrose sang, “This gorgeous, young filly will delight you! I’ll accept offers as low as sixty-five gold!”

[Colt]

Shahar’s yield was seen and accepted, and the calf was named as Lian Windrunner’s. Naiya’s gentle signs of support and happiness were welcome, and Shahar returned them with thanks, love, other animals more important. The knowledge of exactly who he had bidded against lay silent between them; they didn’t need to spend more energy here than necessary.

As it was, though, Shahar couldn’t help but cast one more curious glance over to Lian as he claimed his calf, and was immensely surprised to catch a curt flash of gratitude. Shahar tilted his head and returned with acknowledgement, you’re welcome. It was the closest the two of them had come to civil since the beginning of the season, and even the most basic of civility was welcome. It was certainly better than a fistfight.

One-eighteen was next to be offered, a mixed calf with a fine white coat that Shahar knew made more than one herder sigh with desire. The red-haired Amunet opened the bidding, and Shahar raised her with a quick, polite greeting, see again. Lian raised the price even higher, and the Dawnwhisper prepared to go higher again––before Naiya outbid all three of them and claimed the calf for herself.

Surprised amusement, pride, fine calf, he said fondly.

Naiya went on to win yet another white calf, followed by a yellow cow that was won by Lian, and then two more white calves that Naiya triumphed over without batting an eye. Four white calves were all hers, and Shahar caught the numerous looks of envy that came their way. These four, added to the two silvers that were already in their herd, were making for a very fine second generation. Delighted pride, love, vast respect, he said to Naiya.

The old mare came to Shahar without much competition; she wasn’t much to look at, it was true, with worn bones and a drooping head, but Shahar couldn’t help it. There was something comforting in the warm way she walked that he liked. And if there was so little competition, why not? He highly doubted she would cause them trouble.

The appearance of Merevaika gave Shahar a surprise, although he didn’t move to catch her eye. She found herself in possession of the buckskin strider mare. Next came a young mixed blood mare, apparently once a broodmare, and Shahar claimed her for eighty-nine gold mizas. She wasn’t a dazzling creature by any stretch of the imagination, but she tolerated her handlers quietly. She was a creature he was certainly curious about, and one that had years on her yet.

Next was a colt and filly, and more than one bidder leveled determined eyes to the auctioneers. The filly was begun at sixty-five gold and the colt at seventy-five. Shahar couldn’t help but chuckle at the colt’s unexpected nip of the auctioneer’s rear, and wasn’t the only one to do so; the colt clearly had personality, even if it came with a bit of a mischievous side. But would such a horse be worth a bid?

Shahar signed his interest in the colt, raising him to eighty.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

Seirei had debated whether she should attend the auction for quite some time before she actually decided to come. Crowds made her nervous. She had good reason to fear them. And yet, they would be focused on buying the animals available for sale, not on her presence among them. Besides, Naiya, and Shahar were there. She trusted them to help her if anyone did give her a hard time. There was this to consider as well. Ever since she had bonded to Kairi, most of the Drykas had accepted her as one of them.

She would probably be safe enough if she went. So, knowing that she couldn't hide forever, Seirei allowed her curiosity to win over her anxiety. She made her way to where the auction was being held in time to see Shahar win a pretty pale colored mare. As she made her way to where Naiya and Shahar were standing, she saw a young colt bite one of the auctioneers in the rear. She couldn't help but laugh softly when the man claimed that it was a "mere love bite." It was obvious that "love bite" or not, it had hurt the man considerably, so she felt guilty for laughing. It was wrong to be amused by another person's pain. And yet it had looked so funny that she simply couldn't help herself. Nor could several others in the crowd.

Seirei greeted her friends politely, but the auctioneers were moving on to try and sell the rambunctious colt, and a pretty young filly. She was tempted to make an offer for the beautiful filly. But practicality stayed her hand. What would she do with her if she won her? She already had a mare and foal that she was struggling to learn how to care for properly. Kairi and Thunder seemed to have claimed her as their own, so they were more willing to tolerate her mistakes than a strange horse would be likely to be. So she simply watched the proceedings, content to be with her friends, and see what animals were up for bid. For the moment, anyway. That didn't mean that she wouldn't bid if she truly fell in love with one of the horses that were being sold.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian's gratitude for Shahar's yielding the bid on the brown calf to him was noticed, and acknowledged. That simple gesture was somehow enough to lessen Lian's fury at the man to a more manageable anger. It wasn't a complete about face in the way he felt about Shahar, but if the man were to approach him again, Lian would be far less likely to lose his temper to the point of attacking him wildly with his fists. At the very least, it might be a start.

When Shahar bid on a white calf that Lian had his eye on, Lian grinned as he outbid the other man, seeing it as a challenge. Unfortunately, Shahar's wife outbid them both, ending the auction for that particular calf. Lian had been hoping for the challenge of a bidding war between him and Shahar. But practically speaking, he had already bid the most he had truly wanted to bid on the white calf. The challenge of a bidding war aside, perhaps it was best that Naiya had outbid them both.

The woman outbid him on the white bull calf Lian had wanted as well. Then she outbid him again on a pair of white calves he was interested in. By just ten gold mizas. Lian scowled in irritation at being outbid on four of the five calves he wanted. But he did win the cow he had wanted, which made him feel somewhat better. And when someone in the crowd muttered that Naiya either had no idea of what she was doing, or she had several cows to look after all of those calves, what little irritation he still felt at losing the other bids faded. He only had one cow, and he most definitely had no real idea of what he was doing. Lian suddenly felt relieved that he hadn't won all five of the calves he'd bid on.

The rest of the zibri were sold off, and the auctioneers moved on to the horses. Lian watched as Shahar bought an old mare that looked as though she had seen better days. He wondered what use the man might have for such a creature, until he realized that he might be thinking of using the mare to teach Seirei how to ride properly. The thought made him flinch inside. He had meant to buy Seirei a horse and teach her how to ride. He had promised Seirei that he would teach her how to ride after she'd given birth. But somehow it had never happened. Lian didn't know whether to be happy Seirei would finally learn, or guilty for not following through on his promise.

Speaking of Seirei, Lian noticed that she had joined Naiya and Shahar when he glanced over at them again. Anger struck Lian like a blow, and he was hard pressed not to march over there, and confront her immediately. But the auction was moving on, and Lian decided that it wouldn't be right to disrupt it with a confrontation. Seeing a young colt bite one of the auctioneers in the rear was funny enough to dispel most of his anger. So he turned back to watching the bidding..
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