Learning From The Best

by **Vanari** on August 30th, 2013, 6:35 pm

Spring, Day 15, 510AV

Ardea wasn't with her, and it felt...wrong.

For the past handful of days, the golden red tigress and towering Vantha had traversed the Sea of Grass side by side, encountering one misadventure after another. Vanari had grown a little more wild each day and, ironically, her Kelvic companion a little more civil. They had journeyed together, slept together, bathed together, and saved each other's lives innumerable times. Despite Ardea's rather feral and aggressive tendencies, she had quickly become the Vantha's best and truest friend amidst a very alien and dangerous world.

So, it was no wonder that a strange sense of absence, of lacking, pervaded her mood during this otherwise perfect morning. The sun was beaming merrily down on a sea of green, illuminating the vast plains, and gentle breezes bent the tall grass in waves that seemed to breathe life into the very land itself. Spring was beautiful, as always, and so full of vibrant energy.

Vanari, however, found it difficult to fully appreciate such things as she nervously fumbled the straps of her pack. Sure, she had told Ardea she would be fine for one day on her own, but she only did that so the Kelvic could attend her Kelvicy business with a peace of mind. In truth, she was deathly afraid of being by herself amongst a horde of strangers--and of fiercesome Drykas, no less.

No point in being a chicken, she berated herself. Just do it and get it over with.

Straightening her back and lifting her chin, Vanari marched up to Tyserion's tent, fully intent on not making a coward of herself. She raised her fist to knock as she reached the entrance, then abruptly froze. Wait a tick, how the petch does one even go about politely knocking on hides and canvas?

The Vantha felt beads of sweat starting to form on her face. What was she doing here? What was she even thinking? How the goddess was she supp--

"You are early. Good."

Vanari nearly jumped out of her skin as a bronze face popped out of the opening. A hand then parted the rest of the flap, and Tyserion motioned for her to enter. Gulping, she obeyed and strode inside, hoping her anxiety was not as painfully obvious as it felt.

The air was surprisingly cool inside, and there was various riding gear and equipment strewn about everywhere. In the center, however, was a table of neatly organized items, presumably set out for their first lesson.

"You must know these items well before you learn to ride," Tyserion explained, diving right in with typical practicality. "I will try to teach you the gentler way that those of Riverfall favor, but of course the way of the Drykas is superior. You will learn a little of that, as well."

Vanari nodded, listening intently as he proceeded to describe the function of each piece of equipment. The day had only just begun, and already she could tell it would be a long one.

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by **Vanari** on August 31st, 2013, 12:51 am

Vanari was somewhat peeved that it was past midday and she still had not attempted to ride a horse yet. For most of the morning, Tyserion had grilled her over and over on all the various equipment, safety precautions, and yada, yada, yada. The Vantha enjoyed learning, to be sure, but was anxious and impatient to get to more doing and less talking.

"Well, it seems you understand the basic knowledge required," the Drykas finally conceded after his millionth interrogation.

Vanari's heart leapt. She was finally going to learn how to ride!

"Now, we move on to grooming." Her expression fell flat. Grooming? Why the petch did she have to learn that first? Couldn't it wait?

Sensing her impatience, Tyserion merely shook his head and motioned towards the entrance. They exited the tent together as he explained why the process was so tedious.

"You must understand, outsider, we Drykas spend our whole lives learning and understanding all there is to know of our Striders. You are trying to obtain a skill that takes us many, many years to perfect, even though we begin when we were but babes. Does it make sense, then, why I am insisting on so much preparation?"

Vanari looked down and nodded, feeling like a child in school being admonished for fidgeting in her chair. "Yes, it does."

"Good. The most important thing is that you come to know a horse as a living being, one whose services should be appreciated, not abused. I have seen many of your kind run these majestic beasts to the ground for their own selfish needs, and such reckless behavior is never tolerated amongst our kind. If you are to learn from us, you must prove yourself worthy. Hence, another reason for our thorough training."

She nodded again, this time with much more conviction. To push a horse to its death was an unthinkable atrocity, even if she herself were in danger. Vanari had always found abuse of any kind highly unsavory, be it towards animals, slaves, or any living thing.

They reached a small enclave of trees, where several docile looking mares munched contentedly on tender grass, and set down a stool and several tools that they had carried over. For the next bell or so, Vanari sat patiently as she first used a curry comb, then a stiff brush to remove the dust and hair, and lastly finished with a soft brush to leave the coat silky smooth. She found herself enjoying the process, and Amara was a particularly sweet creature, occasionally nudging the Vantha's shoulders or cheeks to show her appreciation.

By the time she was finished, Vanari felt more reserved than ever about riding a horse. Having gotten to know the creature, it somehow made her hesitant, as though it would similar to asking Ardea for a piggyback ride. She placed a hand on Amara's warm neck and moved with gentle strokes, feeling the animal's soft coat under her palms. Then she rested her face against it, smelling sunshine and grass and earth all at once. Amara was exceedingly patient, allowing the Vantha to rest so comfortably that she almost fell asleep.

Tyserion woke her up, holding an odd bundle in his hands. "Here, time to eat. Afterwards, you will attempt to ride. It seems you have earned it."

Vanari's face lit with excitement, despite her earlier hesitance. She bit into what seemed to be a wrap of meat and leafy greens, her stomach roiling with hunger.

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by **Vanari** on August 31st, 2013, 11:51 pm

"First and foremost, you must learn how to approach her. She is sentient, as you are, and appreciates surprises or rudeness no more than you do. Come from the side with your body tilted away. Try to establish that you are not a threat."

Vanari did was she was told, forcing herself to relax and seem completely disinterested. She walked by Niro a few times, careful not to touch him but still close enough to ease him into complacency. Unlike Amara, he was rather young and still unused to the hustle and bustle of human activity. Tyserion had chosen him on purpose, both for the inexperience and lesser danger, as it would be much easier to catch him or avoid his hooves should he decide to panic.

Niro seemed a little skittish at first, but even with her height the Vantha didn't make for a very big threat to begin with. After a while of strolling back and forth, Tyserion nodded subtly and Vanari pulled out a treat, slowly approaching the animal and holding her hand out. The horse hesitated, then gradually leaned forward to nibble at the slice of apple. Then he gobbled it up, tickling her hand in the process and sending her in a fit of laughter. She stroked him affectionately, becoming more and more enamored with the beasts as the day went on.

"Well done, now a quick review."

"Never approach from behind, never walk in a straight, quick paced line, and always keep yourself on the sides so you can be easily seen," she rattled off with ease. "Oh, and don't get kicked."

The Drykas nodded, then went on to quickly list some important parts of the horses's anatomy and relate them to a rider's own. Everything, from height to build to checking under the hooves was covered, before he finally pointed at the pile of saddles and bridles.

"Now, show me you can properly use these."

Vanari slowly but purposefully retrieved the items one by one. First, she lay the blanket and pad on, then lifted the saddle atop both, checking each side for wrinkles. Next, she reached beneath Niro to pick up the girth and patiently tightened it little by little, careful not to alarm him with any sudden pressure. Lastly, she faced the horse and gently stretched each leg to settle the saddle, then re-checked to make sure the girth had not loosened.

With this first half accomplished, Vanari fed Niro another piece of apple as a reward for his patience, stroking him fondly on the neck, then moved on to the bridle. She undid the keepers on the cavison and cheek piece and placed it over his face, measuring the proper length and adjusting as required. Then, holding the reins in her left hand and the headstall in her right, she slid the reins over his head, allowing the bridle to pass under the chin and rest on his nose.

Almost done. She just had to get the bit in his mouth, do some more adjustments, and they should be ready to go. Repressing the urge to rush through this last part, she warmed up the bit in her hand and offered it, pushing her thumb into the corner of his mouth until it opened. He had just finished his treat and it was easy to get the bit in. Then she drew up the headstall, placing it over his ears and gently pushing them through the ear loops before pulling away any trapped forelock. With some adjustment of the bit width and throat latch, Vanari then fit the cavesson noseband, pulling up Niro's rough forelock to check the fit.

One last check of the reins. There, all done! Vanari turned proudly to Tyserion, having completed all the tasks with absolutely no hitches. The Drykas, however, merely smirked.

"Good," he conceded. "Now, take it all off."

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by **Vanari** on September 1st, 2013, 12:17 am

Vanari tried not to murder the smug Drykas as she undid all of her had work. Honestly, why was this torture even necessary?

Once everything but the reins and bridle had been removed, Tyserion walked up to Niro and patted him on the back. "Now, you ride."

She nearly choked. "What, like this? You want me to ride bareback?"

Vanari rolled her eyes as the man merely shrugged. "It is easier this way, and trust me, should you find yourself in a situation where you do not have the luxury of time to properly saddle your horse, you will thank me."

Grudgingly, she found the reason in his words and looked at Niro with hesitance. How was she even supposed to get up there, stirrup-less, to begin with?

"Just grab and jump," Tyserion suggested, as if reading her mind. "It helps if you count and jump on three."

After so much preparation. it felt bizarre to just literally leap onto the horse. But, it seemed the Drykas was serious, so Vanari took a breathe, counted to three, and then jumped as she grabbed onto Niro's mane. The horse fidgeted a little at the motion, but he didn't fling her off, which was a good enough start any day. She scooted forward, remembering some earlier advice, and made herself as comfortable as possible while petting Niro on his neck and sides, ever grateful for his compliance.

Tyserion seemed pleased, and for the rest of the sun's reign over the sky he taught her how to lead, stop, turn, canter, and even gallop a little bit. Vanari felt a brand new kind of exhilaration that she had never known before. The wind blew through her hair as she and Niro made laps around the flattened enclave, lending them both a sense of freedom and unity not oft found elsewhere.

Finally, their lesson came to an end as the sun sank below the horizon, and Vanari wearily dismounted, barely able to keep steady on her feet. She fed Niro the last of the apple, patting him heartily in way of goodbye.

"Well done," Tyserion congratulated, "You have made fair progress."

Vanari grinned at his words, even if her results were fair and not amazing. She was just happy she had not ended up face first in the dirt most of the day. Besides, her legs were killing her, and she looked forward to a day of recovery.

"You should get plenty of rest now. Tomorrow, things will become harder. Trust me."

She froze in her tracks, glaring at him. What was he talking about, tomorrow? Tomorrow, Ardea would return, and they would be well on their way!

"In fact, you should make it a habit to retire as early as possible this next fortnight. I estimate that is about how long it will take for you to truly become accustomed to both styles of riding."

Vanari inwardly groaned, being far too exhausted to physically do so. When she reached her own little tent, which the others had kindly lent to her, she merely collapsed onto her bedroll and decided not to think upon it further.

And thus began her grueling, fourteen day training of how to ride--a much greater endeavor than she had every dreamed of bargaining for.

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by **Magpie** on September 22nd, 2013, 9:23 pm

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Vanari :

Notes :

If you have any questions or concerns about what was awarded, please don't hesitate to PM me.
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