#bergen_county

She pats Star's neck. "Oh, just feed her ego."

Her ears perk. Feed??

Sniff, sniff

There is the the smell of carrots but hard to trace

"Your horse is kind of vain" Tiara smiles "But you know that"

"Well, she is the best horse."

A hoof stamps and mane tosses. She will defeat this pompous stallion, and win his snacks from him!

Tiara is regarded with some initial caution, as were the other centaurs as well, but soon she is treated much as any other person without praise, or carrots, or sugar cubes - ignored. Horse, person, Horseperson, HER Rider is what matters.

Snowthorn yawns. ANd looks confident

"Oh now you're baiting her" Lavender pats Snow thorn "Okay, so what we do first. Poppinjay?"

"Popinjay should have same rules for everyone, yeah."

"Okay, First charge, me.. " Lavender says 'Because I took charge. Second, Dagmar, because I don't want to push my luck. Last..."

"Me, I get it," Tiara laughs

The poppinjay is lined up, and Snowthorn stamps eager to go

Hijinks ensue!

The girls give feedback and encouragement to each other.

On the first pass of the poppinjay, a spray of bubbles flies into the air! Oh... looks like someone snuck a bubble wand onto the far end, and when it spins...

"What the heck?" Laughter breaks out

"Your turn, Dagmar..."

Tiara eyes the bubbles "Is someone's squire around here?"

Giggles from behind a bush,

Laughing.

"Dagmar, if you're squire wants to watch he has to do squire work..." Lavender winks "Shall we have him hold the carrots?"

"Ok, that's hilarious."

"GUARD the carrots."

"GUARD the carrots" Lavender nods

And she hands Connor the satchel, provided he shows his cute fuzzy self

"Carrots?!" His nose wrinkles a bit. "I will guard them with my life!"

"...better if they were carrot cakes thought...."

"Well, maybe we can bake later tonight."

"Well, I would have brought .." Lavender lowers her voice "apples, but the snow threat is still here"

Tiara laughs "Snow's adorable"

A soft crunching sound, and Star snorts in indignation.

"Just checkin' em!"

"Yep. Them's Carrots."

"I claim these bubbles, as a sign of my knightly loftiness... which hopefully, unlike the bubbles, will not pop" Lavender decrees "Now, as winner of the poppinjay" Whether she won or not "One of you has to joust against me. Who wants to go first?"

"I don't think it'll take too long for each of use to take a turn against the other."

"Shouldn't" The centauress agrees

"Not what I was asking... so I'll pick" She points "You and me first, Tiara"

"RIght," And Tiara lines up on the other end from Lavender

"Alright, I'll marshal..."

"Let us know when"

Dagmar places herself midway and raises her hand.

"Jousters to your marks and...."

"LAY ON"

And they charge, Snowthorn is a professional athlete, no less than any olympian, Tiara has trained hard and has the advantage of unity, but that advantage is matched, because Lavender seems almost fused to Snowthorn and she's not knocked off

And she hits more accurately

Tiara notes the hit on her, "Darn. I am better with a sword"

Star nickers as they wait their turn. Professional or not, She and Her Rider have been together longer and know each other well. Ears flick confidently.

Two more paces, and Tiara gets a tie one round, but loses the third as she nearly loses her hooves footing. Had this been a joust she'd been unhorsed

"So THAT is what an unhorsing blow looks like on a centaur..."

Snowthorn trots about confidently , a prance as if to say 'Is there anybody else or are we done here ?'