[Windmount Stable] Prancing Pony (Katelyn)

by **Sayana** on May 1st, 2015, 6:06 pm

“Oh right, the reins,” Sayana replied and passed the bridle and reins to the ginger. Katelyn seemed to put on the bridle with smooth efficiency of someone doing it for many years. Sayana watched as part of it went into the horse’s mouth and then there was a strap that rested behind the pony’s ears and another one in front of the ears. The Eypharian was quite happy to have let Katelyn do this part since she wasn’t so sure about sticking the thing into the pony’s mouth.

"Now you can get on."

“Alright, alright,” Sayana replied excitedly as she took the reins in her high hands. She still held her coat in her low left, but it should be fine. This time she was careful to put the correct foot into the stirrup. She did a couple of awkward hops to get a bit closer to the pony. With a deep breath she kicked off the ground with her right foot while straightening her left. She swung her right foot over and reached for the horn of the saddle with her mid hands. Well that wasn’t so bad.

Sayana adjusted a little in the saddle and tried to reposition her skirt a little. It wasn’t exactly giving her much decency so she decided to lay her coat down on the saddle between her and the saddle horn. That felt comfortable enough, though she could feel the leather of the saddle against the inside of her legs.

As Katelyn explained the proper length of the stirrups, Sayana peered down to see what she was doing. With a few adjustments to the straps, it seemed to fit much more comfortably for the short Eypharian. Sayana flexed her foot and aligned it so that it was the front portion of her foot that was in the stirrup. It seemed like everything was set. As Katelyn went over to mount Garrison, Sayana was reminded that she’d be riding next to the enormous horse. She’d be fine… she was going to do just fine… Although she still had a bit of anxiety about riding with the warhorse, Sayana followed Katelyn’s instruction to straighten out the reins. Her mid hands still gripped the horn while her highs adjusted the reins so there was an equal amount of slack on either side.

Sayana gave a light kick with her heels followed by a second firmer one and Sebastian began to move forwards. It had certainly been a while since she had ridden and she rocked gently in her seat to match the pony’s gait. The pony gave a snort and she patted him gently on the neck. “It’s alright Sebastian. Just going for a little ride.” Sayana murmured to the pony. For the most part Sebastian simply followed after Garrison, but here and there Sayana had to pull on one rein or the other to guide him. As the pony slowed down to eye some grass, the Eypharian gave another kick to get him moving after the big warhorse. They moved into the area and Sayana could see several knights and squires practicing.

“So, what can do you do with confidence?”

“Well, I think I can go faster than a walk. I think that’s a trot, right?” Sayana strained to remember the time she set out from Ahnatep. It wasn’t worth doing much more than a walk on the uneven desert sands but later it became more useful.

“And do you want to hear of the people, the culture, or the goddesses who watch over Ahnatep?” Sayana asked with a wink. She redirected Sebastian’s reins to face a long open section of the arena. Then with a quick glance at Katelyn she gave a hard kick and the pony lunged forwards into a trot. Sayana gripped the horn tightly trying not to fall off and at last settled into the jostling gait of the horse. Perhaps it was too soon to attempt to show off but it was exhilarating to finally be going somewhere with a bit of speed. More than half way down the arena she pulled at the reins and eased into a walk.

by **Katelyn Marks** on May 11th, 2015, 5:48 pm

Sayana seemed pretty secure at a walk, and not too uncertain about being back on a horse. That was always a good sign, when the rider showed little fear. Sebastian was calm and patient, just like he always was with novice riders. He was a good old pony--well rounded and the kind of horse any level of rider could get on. Kate wouldn't consider letting anyone on Garrison though. He was far too spirited and in general ornery. She kept both hands firmly on her reins while Sayana rode up close to them, keeping the stallion in check. He wasn't keen on strangers, and was a little protective of the pony. The squire could tell by the tightness of his muscles and the alert set of his ears that he was keeping a close eye on the Eypharian.

"Trotting? You're correct. If you think you can, go ahead and give it a try," Katelyn offered, but it seemed the young woman needed little coaxing. The redhead was surprised by how eagerly she set off into the next gait, seemingly without any hesitation. Kate smiled broadly as she rode away, and with a nudge of her heels urged Garrison to follow. His long-legged stride caught up easily with the sorrel pony, and she reined the Tiaden in to walk alongside them. "Honestly, I'd love to hear about all of it. I love learning about far away places." Pausing a moment, she examined Sayana's posture. "Good job by the way. Your trot looked pretty good, but maybe lean forward a little more next time, and be sure to keep your heels down."

With another cue from her heels and calves, Garrison surged forward into an easy jog. His heavy hooves kicked up dust with each thumping step, and she rocked side to side in her saddle with the sway of his trot. "Try and follow me back around," Katelyn called behind her. "I'm going to lead you into a pattern. Work on your seat while you turn him. Just do what I do." The squire eased her stallion into a slow curve, pulling his left rein and flexing his neck until he came into the rail. She let him trot along the edge of the arena for a few paces than turned him back inside, cutting halfway across before switching into a figure eight. They turned right, then curved left, then right again, bending back in on themselves.

Katelyn glanced over her shoulder every few beats to see how the Eypharian was faring. She seemed to handle it well--it surely helped to have so many extra hands. Kate couldn't quite get over that. After two figure eights she halted her warhorse but motioned for Sayana to keep going. "Good job," she complimented. The woman seemed confident and comfortable. "Ride a few circles around me--I want to get a good look at you from the side, just to see if there's anything that needs adjusting."

OOCI hope I'm not taking too many liberties. I'm going by Sayana's lack of riding skill, and just making corrections any novice would need!

by **Sayana** on May 13th, 2015, 6:46 pm

Sayana smiled at Katelyn’s complement and readily received her advice. She leaned forwards quite a lot and then realized she might be overcompensating and adjusted her posture again till it was more comfortable. Then with a quick glance at her heels, she flexed her feet to point them more downwards.

When the ginger rider set off in a trot, Sayana quickly gave a kick with her heels not wanting to get left behind. Katelyn continued giving instructions and the Eypharian frowned briefly at the mention of working on her ‘seat’. With a shrug she carried on and trailed a fair bit behind the long legged warhorse. Even though Sayana would have liked to go faster, it made it easier to follow since she could see Katelyn turn several ticks before she had to turn Sebastian. With a look of concentration, Sayana tugged timidly at the left rein, but when the pony didn’t turn enough she pulled harder for a much more solid turn to the left.

Sayana looked up and saw that Katelyn was again beginning to turn, this time to the right. With a smile, she began to catch on and was ready with a firm tug of the right rein. She then remembered how the ginger had mentioned her seating and she tried to adjust herself so she wasn’t bumping up and down too hard in the saddle while also flexing her feet. Again left and again right. Each time felt a little smoother though her rear was beginning to get sore already. When Kat stopped, Sayana was about to pull at the reins too but she saw her gesture and continued to go in a circle. At this point she tried standing up a bit on the stirrups to reduce the jostling and had some momentary relief before sitting back down.

“Back in Ahnatep, we have horses but we also have chariots,” Sayana spoke loudly above the pounding of hooves. Even from simply announcing herself at her performances every night she had gotten better at projecting her voice. “Jackal warriors ride the chariots standing up with huge long bows. And the masters fire two arrows at once or even wield two bows at a time with two pairs of arms.”

As Sayana began a second circle around Katelyn she thought of what else she might tell her. “You know, my ma named me after Syna. In Ahnatep you feel the hot rays of Syna almost all the time. Ma said that when I was a wee little thing I tried to catch and pick up Syna’s rays that streamed in from a window. All she could remember was how frustrated I got when I kept missing from one hand to the next.” Sayana gave a light laugh at the story and pulled the reins of the horse to move into a walk. “Here, it’s only a luxury to have windows where Syna can grace your home.”

OOCThat's totally fine =)

by **Katelyn Marks** on June 17th, 2015, 4:30 pm

The Eypharian seemed to pick everything up rather quickly. She was listening and making the proper adjustments to her seat. It was clear that it wasn't her first time on a horse, at least going this pace. Katelyn watched Sayana trot in a few slow circles atop Sebastian, arms folded and reins laying limp across her stallion's withers, relishing the stories of her exotic home to the south. She could feel that familiar quickening, the sudden restlessness, and instinctively her fingers found the reins once more, accompanied by a tightening of legs against Garrison's girth. He stepped forward automatically, complying with her desire to move, but as he shifted she snapped out of her daydreaming gaze and pulled back on his mouth, halting him suddenly. He tossed his head in protest, bridle rattling as she backed him up a few paces.

Back in the now, Katelyn smiled, a little flushed. "Sorry," she apologized, hoping Sayana hadn't thought she was being ignored. "My imagination was running wild there. I get a little antsy hearing stories. I want to travel when or if I'm ever knighted. Either way, really. As a failed squire of a successful one." Kate sighed, shifting her weight in the saddle. "It sounds amazing. Eyktol, I mean. I'd like to meet those Jackal Warriors some day. See them for myself." She watched Sayana make another small lap in attentive silence, then motioned for her to stop. "I think that's enough. You seem like you have a good grasp of the basics. So long as you don't go crazy out there, you should be fine."

Katelyn dismounted easily, and motioned once more for Sayana to do the same. "As for walking and trotting, there really isn't anything else to tell you. Just practice. Make sure you keep your heels down and don't lean too far back in the saddle. That's about the gist of it, honestly. Oh, and work on how even your reins are. Not too much slack, but not too tight on their mouth either." Another small smile spread across her lips, and after a short lull of silence she took the reins from Sayana's dark fingers. "I can put them away. They're a little crazy going back into their stalls sometimes. They know there's food. But if you ever want to ride Sebastian again, I'm here most mornings. You did a good job."

When they returned to the barn, Katelyn tied both of the horses outside each of their boxes and turned back to the Eypharian, offering a hand. "It was nice to meet you Sayana. Hopefully we'll see each other again soon, and we can share some more."

OOCSorry this is such crap. Forcing myself to write, and battle my dead muse. Since we talked about closing this up, I tried to jump us back to the barn. You can end it with a final post.

by **Sayana** on June 18th, 2015, 8:06 pm

Sayana continued walking her horse in slow circles around Katelyn. Every so often she’d have to tug at the rein to get her horse back on track while she listened to the ginger. “Well, you might like the Jackal Warriors but I don’t know if they’d like you so much,” Sayana replied with a laugh. “They might like your hair. Everyone in Ahnatep has brilliantly coloured hair. Mine isn’t like that because it faded and I haven’t yet dyed it again. Maybe I will soon.”

When Kat motioned for her to stop, Sayana did a firm kick with her heels to do one last quick trot around in a circle. With a grin she pulled the reins firmly to at last come to a halt. “Feels good to be back on a horse.”

Katelyn dismounted easily but when Sayana swung her right foot over and slid down, her legs buckled when she hit the ground and she had to catch herself with her hands. “Oh gods… I forgot how much-- ouch.” Her hips were on fire and she practically waddled to get back to a stand. “Heels down, reins not too tight…” The Eypharian repeated rather distractedly as she rubbed at her hips and legs.

“I don’t think I’ll be going out exploring today. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day. But thank you for teaching me.” Sayana said appreciatively as she handed the reins to Katelyn. She nodded when Kat explained that she was there most mornings and smiled at the offer to do more riding lessons. Sayana followed after her, still sort of waddling as they made it back to the barn. She had definitely forgotten how much of a strain it could be on her hips but she hoped it would get better with practice.

“Thank you Katelyn. I hope to see you again soon too.” Sayana answered with a shake of the woman’s hand. “And next time I’ll tell you about Ahnatep’s soaring towers, the lush fountains, the colourful markets, the dancers who do tricks in the air…” She grinned broadly, clearly teasing the poor woman but she did it in good fun. With a wave of a couple of her hands, she left the stables and made her way back home. Despite not going on a full expedition, she had very much enjoyed her morning and she looked forwards to going out again, beyond the castle walls.

by **Nivel** on August 11th, 2015, 3:53 am

Sayana :

Katelyn :

Additional Comments: If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to message me.

Closed [Windmount Stable] Prancing Pony (Katelyn)