Closed On Horseback (Vanator)

[Chandray]

Timestamp: Day 12 of Spring 514 AV Location: Outside Riverfall It had been raining in the morning, but after noon the dark clouds over Riverfall had thinned out and streaks of sunshine and blue sky was shining through. The weather wasn’t splendid exactly. But to an optimistic soul like Chandray Evereene the improvement of the weather was very encouraging and the obvious risk for more rain wasn’t a problem. It seemed like it would be a good afternoon for riding. She didn’t know how to ride. But this didn’t deter her in the least. Lots of people were riding on horses and as far as she had seen it wasn’t hard. They sat on the back of the animal, simply, and steered it with the reins. She had seen children do it. So although she had never before had time and opportunity - or reason - to ride on a horse, she felt sure it was just to go to the stables, hire a horse and be off. The Sea of Grass. The mere name of it exited her to no end and made her imagination soar the unstoppable way it used to soar when Chandray found something fascinating to marvel over. Mindboggling visions crossed her mind. She thought of an eternal green ocean of grass stretching out all the way to the horizon, and it was like she could already feel the wind on her face and in her hair, as she leaned forward over the neck of her horse, the animals body sheer power of movement, flying forth at high speed, the thunder of it’s hooves extinguishing all other sounds. In her dreams. In reality, she had hired a brown mare at the stables. The horse didn’t show any signs of wanting to fly like a fairy tale being over eternal green fields. Chandray had been fine with the horse just walking slowly as long as they were in the city, but she had expected it to become a bit more interesting once they were past the gates. But no, the animal wasn’t too exiting. It had meekly accepted that she mounted it in the stable while the stable hand held the reins. And it had meekly and obediently carried her out of the city. There it had stopped at the first patch of spring grass and grazed, paying no heed to Chandray’s tries to make it move on. But finally it had moved, at a lax pace. Chandray wasn’t pleased but it was better to go slowly than not go at all, so she sighed and let the horse walk as it wanted, while she looked out over the landscape. It was spring and the grass was starting to grow. It was beautiful enough, with all the fresh and light green verdure and the feeling of a world of newborn life, but it was far from the rolling green ocean she had expected. The early spring air was damp and a bit cold. Chandray was still wearing her winter clothes. Dark brown cloak and knee high boots, brown pants and pale red shirt. For a moment she thought of how they would look if somebody else saw them, a brown-clad woman on a brown horse…it wasn’t an inspiring thought so she dismissed it. Next time, she thought, she would get a horse with more energy and spark, livelier, stronger, faster. Turning a bit in the saddle to glance back at Riverfall she could see the city at a distance. But they were pretty far away from the gates now. She would soon turn back…she wasn’t going for a long trip, not with this horse. Chandray was lost in her thoughts and didn’t know what happened when the horse saw a snake in the grass, reared and threw it’s rider off. One moment she was on horseback, next moment she was in the air and then the ground came up and hit her. This was how it felt to her, when she just lay on the ground for few chimes, not moving. Then she started to crawl up, relieved to feel her body seemed to work normally after the fall. She was shaken but not injured. The horse stood nearby, looking meek and docile, but when she approached it the horse skittered away from her. Chandray tried everything she could think of. She spoke to the animal and tried to make it come to her. She tried offering it grass. She attempted to slowly move nearer and pounce on it. Nothing succeeded. The horse didn’t leave, but she wasn’t able to get near it. Chandray tried to think of something. Her body had started to ache slightly after the fall. It was cold despite the afternoon sunshine. The clouds and the damp air made her think the risk for more rain could actually be a small problem after all. She had no idea how to do now, and the horse seemed content to ignore her and do as it liked. It was grazing again.

[Vanator]

Spring had already brought Vanator much excitement. The intrigue of the visit to Endrykas, his first time in his old home in two years, all the activity and new residents at Sanctuary, and then Reven. It all seemed to breath new life into Vanator after the tumult of Winter, and at the moment maybe a bit overwhelming. He needed a ride.

The rain had ceased, and the clouds began to shred, allowing beams of sunlight to radiate through the gray cast. Slipping out with just a word to Aweston, Vanator left the fortress astride Sirocco. He wore his chainmail shirt, a sleeveless metal tunic over a padded vest, and dark wool pants, his cloak wrapped around him to ward off the chill left in the air from the early rains. As always, he left Sanctuary fully armed, an array of axes as well as his bow dangling from his yvas. The Drykas rode along the road towards Riverfall, the Strider stallion visibly antsy to get into open grass, hopping and tossing his noble head. "Easy my friend, not much longer, " Van crooned, patting the horse's strong neck.

Once they cleared the woods, Van gave Sirocco a heel and the Strider veered from the road towards the open plains that stretched to the east. Keen eyes honed from decades in the Sea of Grass spotted movement in the distance, above the reviving carpet of green. A horse and rider. Then the horse reared, and then there was just a horse. Vanator sat up straighter in his seat, waiting to see if the rider appeared again above the grass. Concerned, he urged Sirocco in a leisurely pace in the direction of the riderless horse. Soon, she appeared. The woman seemed unharmed, without a limp or holding an injured arm. Vanator again held the Strider at a halt.

It was with some amusement that the Drykas watched the woman try to regain her horse, a comic display that would certainly embarrass the girl had she know she was being observed. Her mount wished nothing to do with her, and her attempts to earn its favor were going unheeded. Finally, Vanator had seen enough and, with a short laugh to himself, launched Sirocco into a full gallop towards the girl.

The Strider's djed fueled charge ate up the ground between them, and as the Drykas drew near, he squeezed his knees into the horse's sides, coaxing him to slow. The woman's horse skittered a bit at the new arrivals, but soon resumed its grazing. Vanator looked down to the woman. She was tall, attractive and seemingly fit, but there was distress in her blue-gray gaze, certainly over her uncooperative mount. Van recognized the horse, one from the stable in Riverfall. Nell, the stablemaster, was not particularly fond of the Zavian, but kept it as a day mount for rent. It had been a caravan horse and knew little more than following the hind end of the horse in front of it. Van speculated that his friend had intentionally rented the horse to the girl, knowing she was an unskilled rider.

"I take it you don't ride much?" Van quipped, his smile was broad and warm, taking the sting out of his accusation. "I am Vanator Denusk. Can I lend you a hand?"

[Chandray]

Chandray had stopped trying to court the uninterested brown mare when she heard the sound of hooves and saw the rider approach. His horse seemed to fly over the ground gracefully, and the man followed it’s movements like they were one being. It looked just like she had imagined it would be to ride. In her dreams. “Chandray Evereene”. She smiled and looked up at the rider, a little embarrassed but mostly just relieved. Her normal optimistic cheeriness returned after actually having faltered for a few chimes. Everything was going to work out now, she thought when the newcomer offered to lend her a hand. “I, well, it’s actually the first time I’m on horseback” she said. “Or was. The horse threw me off and now it’s impossible to make it come back to me. I have tried everything.” She laughed a bit, as she realized Vanator must have seen her ‘try everything’. Although it wasn’t flattering for Chandray, her sense of humor took over when she thought of her own failed efforts. Had she really tried to tiptoe closer to the horse in order to try to pounce on it like a cat? Yes, she had, but done was done. She shrugged, shook her head at herself and laughed. While she spoke she watched him. Her first impression of Vanator Denusk had been the competent and skilled rider, one with his horse, as they approached with what had seemed like nigh dreamlike speed and coordination. Her second impression, now when she could see more of him, was a seasoned warrior. He was heavily armed to say the least and his shoulders…were definitely very broad. She guessed his age was early thirties - not at all an old man, but definitely not a young boy either. Confident. Relaxed but self-assured. In short, all signs pointed to him being a man who knew what he was doing and knew what he was talking about. A more cautious person might have been reticent and thought of the potential risks of the meeting, but Chandray was accustomed to believe the best of others. She wasn’t suspicious by default. Perhaps she was too quick to trust people, sometimes. But she tended to value the chance of meeting good people much more than she feared the risk of being cheated or betrayed. To her the man seemed friendly, decent and trustworthy enough. Just the kind of person she needed right now. “I’d be grateful if you can help me catch the horse. And perhaps you can give me advice … ” The man gave her a quick smile, nodded and turned his attention to the brown horse. Keen on learning, Chandray watched everything he did and tried to memorize every detail of it. Oh yes, Laviku, let him succeed where she had failed and convince that troublesome brown beast to obey ! She really wanted to see that horse be conquered and brought back to her so she could… well, she wasn’t skilled, she didn’t know exactly what to do. And she didn’t want to ride back the same slow way she had come here, stopping to graze at every new patch of fresh spring grass. She hoped Vanator would show her the basics about riding. As soon as the horse was under control she would ask him.

[Vanator]

Vanator slid from the yvas, landing in the grass with a light thud. Sirocco, relieved of his rider, began finding suitable grass to graze upon. Van looked to the stranger. "A pleasure, Chandry." He offered with a nod and another smile. She was nearly as tall as he, no slack city dweller if the lean muscles of her body revealed anything. She was attractive, smokey blue eyes set in youthful features, though her gaze suggested she had experienced more than twenty-five winters if he was to guess. Chandry wore a scarf tied around her head in the manner of many of the sailors seen at Riverfall's port.

An eyebrow cocked when Chandry revealed it was her first time riding. Not that Van was surprised, what he saw pretty much revealed that already. His reaction was a response to the fact that she came out into the grass alone without a clue as to how to ride. She carried a weapon, a rapier. The last time he saw one, a seafaring woman had shown it to him. He was beginning to wonder if she was a sailor, or Svefra. Regardless, the best defense in the grass is a speedy escape, and she had none. Van thought of chastising the girl for her foolishness, but she had suffered enough with the humiliation of the involuntary dismount. "Well, lets see if we can get this cantankerous mare to mind."

Van began to walk towards the Zavian, slowly. He began to speak, softly, in Pavi. Without looking at Chandry, he addressed her in the same soft tone. "Her name is Zamora. I know the woman who runs the stable." Vanator kept in clear view of the horse, who left its grazing to lift its head and watch. A hoof stepped back, then another. The Drykas froze, though his words continued, smooth like oil, Chandry would recognize Van using the horse's name. Lazily, Van drew closer. Only when within reach of her head did his hand come up. It did not grab the bridle right away, instead, he reached to the animal's ear, rubbing it. "She likes this." He commented, before easily taking hold of the bridle and guiding her back to Chandry.

"Zamora, this is Chandry." Van held the headstall, gesturing that the woman should stroke the horse's mane. The Drykas then spoke to the girl. "I can help you some. You may notice, I don't use a saddle or reins. Drykas use a yvas, but I can get you started with the basics, enough to get you back to the city."

[Chandray]

“Thanks.” She patted the horse and tried to speak to in the same kind of soft and soothing voice Vanator had used when he approached the animal. “Zamora”. Chandray was feeling friendly enough. The horse was an animal and it’s ways were an animal’s ways. She had been frustrated with its behavior, yes she had, but she wasn’t angry and she wanted to befriend the horse and learn how to ride on it. An emotional connection. It was of course not new to her that animals were sentient and had emotions, but as she hadn’t had reason to ride and learn about horses until now, she just hadn’t thought of it. But now she did. The horse wasn’t indifferent to the rider - it wasn’t like a boat, a vehicle, that didn’t care who jumped into it and took it out on the sea. It was a being, and riding wasn’t about using a veichle, it was about cooperation with another sentient being. “So” she concluded aloud. “I need to make friends with the horse and make it like me, or else it won’t cooperate.“ After a while Zamora nuzzled her hand and seemed to be calm and cooperative enough…Chandray mounted up, optimistically. Now it would work, now she was just going to ride back to the city without problems ! And it was true that Zamora seemed to be more at ease with her rider now. She wasn’t bothered. She was actually too little bothered. The horse seemed perfectly content to just take a few steps forward and then stop at next tempting little patch of fresh delicious grass. It started grazing. Zamora didn’t mind that Chandray used her heels to nudge her in the sides. Chandray wasn’t nudging particularly hard, as she wanted to stay friends with the horse now when she’d realized the importance of it. She spoke to Zamora in a very soft and soothing voice, and tried to carefully pull the reins in order to make the animal stop grazing and lift it’s head. “What now?” she asked Vanator. “She isn’t moving. Only if she can see new grass. She ate her way here…I don’t know if there’s grass enough left to make her walk back to the city. “ Chandray choose to not look directly at the man when she said this. He seemed nice enough but there had been something in his expression…not dislike exactly, but…something. Vanator Denusk didn’t need to tell her he wasn’t impressed. She couldn’t say how, but it showed. Although he was nice and polite to a stranger and seemed to partly find this laughable, there was…something. She wasn’t totally at ease, actually. She felt a bit like she had been caught doing things she ought to not have done, much like a kid stealing cookies right before dinner. It wasn’t the way she preferred to feel in the company of a quite handsome drykas warrior type with superior riding skill. He had sure come riding like right out of a dream. But as always, reality was utterly prosaic : a brown horse named Zamora was in command. “I’m really grateful that you’re helping me” she added. “I just need to learn a few quick and simple tricks to make her move, I guess.” This was answered by silence, or so it felt. Chandray nudged the horse a bit harder and pulled more at the reins. The horse moved. It walked over to next patch of grass, sideways, not towards the city. While Zamora started grazing again, Chandray tried to cover her lack of progress as a horsewoman by telling Vanator about how she was planning to buy some equipment for shorter excursions near the city. Once she had learnt how to make the horse move, that was. Soon. As soon as the weather went better. “The weather has been a bit rainy so far, but it looks like it’s getting better don’t you think? I think it will be a sunny day tomorrow.”

[Vanator]

Vanator watched as the woman made up with the horse, petting and speaking to it with a soothing voice. Zamora seemed to accept it, but the Drykas knew well what the horse was thinking. Chandry mounted again and attempted to get the mare to move. She did, of her own will, and in her own direction. Sirroco had slipped up behind his rider, and Van leaned against the Strider's strong shoulder, watching.

Vanator's intent was not to be mean. He liked Chandry already, a charming woman, just caught out over her head. But it was important for her to learn some things on her own, experience was the best teacher. Chandry began to show frustration as the Zamoran behaved as if the girl was not even in the saddle. Vanator let a laugh slip out, then beamed with a grin, pushing off of his horse and taking steps towards Chandry and her mount.

"It is my pleasure to help, Chandry! Now, its not really about being a friend. Its about being in charge. A horse is trained to obey a rider. If a rider is not in control, the horse has no direction, and will see to his own needs, like eating non-stop. A horse respects a rider who takes control. That is when you become friends." He looked up to the woman, meeting her gaze to ensure she understood.

Taking a step back away from them, Vanator instructed Chandry. "Pull back on those reins, hard. She is a big girl, you are not going to hurt her. Don't let her eat. When you get her attention, pull one rein down to your knee, keep it short, she will have to turn her head. She will turn to, maybe in circles, but this will let her know that Chandry is in charge, not Zamora. Then do it on the other side. She may get squirrely if she tries to test you, but don't give in."

[Chandray]

“Alright”. Chandray did as Vanator had told her and pulled the reins hard in order to force the horse to stop grazing and lift it’s head. Zamora tried to resist but ended up lifting her head. She moved nervously and tried to take back the control, but Chandray held on and waited until the animal gave up. Or so it seemed. Maybe she was only standing still and hadn’t given up at all. She looked at Vanator and listened to his instructions. He was clear and crisp, easy to understand : Pull hard to the side, force the horse to turn it’s head. The same to the other side. This would show the horse who was in command. Again, Chandray did as she was told. She held the reins firmly and pulled them so the horse had to turn it’s head to the left side. The animal gave an annoyed sound as it turned it’s head. But just like Vanator had said, it wasn’t only the head that turned : the body moved too, the whole horse followed, but not willingly. First Zamora resisted, then she started turning around quite quickly, and Chandray had to struggle to keep her grip in the reins and her balance. The horse even bucked slightly, like it had occurred to her to try to get rid of the rider. But she calmed down again. Chandray had stayed on the horse’s back and she was still the one in charge of the reins. She was silently congratulating herself to the physical fitness she possessed. She wasn’t used to horses, but she was used to dealing with things that required strength, like boats, like fencing. She pulled to the other side and the horse turned it’s head and it’s whole body again. But this the animal had gotten enough. Now it was really annoyed and it was going to get rid of the irritating rider. I bucked, trying to throw her off of it’s back. A veritable wrestle between horse and rider followed. The horse showed its full strength now, bucking, turning, and it was all Chandray could to hold on. Instinctively, she clung to it’s back using her knees, while she put all her willpower and strength into keeping the control of the reins. There was no time to think, no time act in a planned way, the only thing she could do was focus on winning this “showdown”, while she followed and countered the horse’s movement and tried to make it stop. It was chaotic and she hardly knew how she made it, but she did. After a while - perhaps not as long time as it had felt to her while the bucking went on - the horse stopped it and just stood. Chandray didn't dare to relax though. She couldn’t know if Zamora had given up or was just taking a break. “She’s trying to throw me” she said, stating the obvious, her voice tense. At this pace they wouldn’t reach the city any time near. She hoped they would get there before dark…she had heard it could be pretty dangerous out here. So far her horse had been eating, then fought her like it never heard it was supposed to be a nice harmless grazer. How long time would it take to make a horse obey? Chandray laughed a bit shakily and looked at Vanator. “Do you think I have control enough to start riding towards Riverfall?” She remembered he had said he knew the people at the stables and it struck her that he might have a time schedule to keep, people waiting for him. Small children waiting for daddy perhaps. He seemed to be that age. “I hope we’ll get there before dark. Well,I'm really grateful for the help, and I hope I’m not delaying you too much…perhaps you have friends and family waiting for you, people who will feel worried if you don’t turn up when they expect you...”

[Vanator]

Vanator vaulted back into his yvas, urging Sirroco back as Chandray tried to work with Zamora. The Zavian was a stubborn mare, giving the woman a hard time. She snorted and hopped, trying to dislodge her insistent rider. "Don't let her win!" Van encouraged. Chandray was not the slight, helpless woman she had seemed to be at first sight. She held on strong, knees clamped about the horse's barrel, gripping and tugging on the reins in spite of Zamora's attempts to knock her off. Vanator hoped the girl would persevere.

Finally the mare settled. When the woman remarked that the horse was trying to throw her, Vanator could not help but laugh. "You think? You did a great job holding on Chandray, I am impressed!" Vanator gave her a reassuring smile. Chandray' features were clouded with concern, both for her likelihood of reaching Riverfall, and for delaying Vanator from something important. Van had just bonded with Reven two days earlier, and he was anxious to get back to her. But for no specific reason. He was more concerned for Chandray's safety. He would not leave a stranger stranded, or miss out on a chance to make a friend.

"Why don't you try to walk her around a bit. Lead her with the reins, gently now. If she gets squirrely with you pulll those reins to the side again. Vanator was not sure how Zamora was trained, but he understood the basics of rein training. "Then, I can ride with you back to Riverfall, I have nothing pressing, it would be my pleasure. Or, you can ride with me and we can lead that stubborn mare behind us."

[Chandray]

“I think it’s best for me to do as much as possible myself and try to ride and learn” Chandray said. “If I want to be able to ride on my own later on I need to master this. And I think the only way is to do it. So if you don’t mind : I will go on trying to do this myself at least a few times more and let’s try to move towards Riverfall. But then, if it starts to rain again, or if you need to speed up for some other reason, then I can ride with you so we can go back faster." She had been riding out here, but this had been as simple as it came, as she had just ridden where the horse wanted to go anyway. And now she had done one try to make Zamora obey her, and managed to not be thrown. But two times doesn’t make a good rider, she thought. She wasn’t going to give up already. She smiled at Vanator. “It’s nice to meet a good man, a helpful man like you out here” she said sincerely. “Good people who help each other and support each other, that’s what makes the world go round, and makes it a better place to live in. Be it on at sea or ashore, in city or wilderness. Cooperation between people is worth more than all gold in the world. I hope that I’ll be able to help you back one day.” There is a kind of unselfish higher loyalty, the loyalty with strangers, the loyalty that makes people lend a helping hand to somebody they don’t even know. It keeps the world together. She received this kind of higher loyalty with other people right now. And she felt it like the gift it was. A friendly smile, good advice, a helping hand. It was valuable. Precious. She tried to follow his instructions and made the horse walk, leading it cautiously with the reins. It seemed to work…for a little while, until Zamora realized she was being made to obey, and decided to make a new try to bolt. Chandray countered by pulling the reins in the same manner as before. But this time she reared, once, twice … without previous warning. Chandray shouted at her, held on to the reins and clung to the horse, mustering all the strength she could. It took dedication and endurance to make it, but she managed to stay on the horse until it calmed down again. She watched the horse warily, only glancing briefly at Vanator when she spoke again. “She was docile enough on the way out here. It seemed like she was used to carry a rider. But not I’m starting to wonder if it’s just me or if the horse too is a beginner…”

[Vanator]

Vanator nodded when Chandray expressed her desire to make a go of riding the troublesome mare. "Alright, good for you. I admire someone who doesn't give up, that's what keeps people alive. We'll just take our time heading back, I am enjoying the company anyway." Van grinned as he kept Sirroco at a safe distance, not wanting to add to Zamora's stress.

As the two riders moved along at a slow pace, the woman working visibly to guide the cantankerous Zavian, Vanator considered Chandray's philosophical words. She was optimistic, something Vanator would not have shared a year or two earlier. But living at Sanctuary had changed his outlook, given him hope in people. Sanctuary offered help to strangers, and those strangers often helped in return. It was a mantra he had adopted as well, finding more often than not, encounters helping strangers lead to new friends. Vanator could see Chandray becoming one quite easily.

"You are right, Chandray. Taking a risk, giving to a stranger without knowing what will happen, is not easy. But it is what makes us more than animals, or Zith," (his bias bled out a bit)." I am glad to have the chance to help you. You, in turn, can keep me company on the way back to the city."

Zamora seemed to think things were going too smoothy, and proceeded to try again to unseat her rider. Chandray was rattled by the bucking mare, but she clung on like a champ, urging the horse to desist, and soon, the Zavian was back under control.

"Good work! Oh, I think that horse knows exactly what she is doing. On your way out, she was in charge, went where she wanted, did what she wanted. Now, she isn't in control anymore. She is bent out of shape because now she has to listen to you. Keep it up, and she will realize you are no longer going to let her push you around."