Completed [Windmount Track 'n Field] Horses Know Too Much

[Cor Alspach]

60th of Winter, 515

The general buzz of shock that had rippled through the city with the roof cave-ins was slowly subsiding and life was getting back to normal. Just the day earlier Cor had been given the run-down on how responsible it would be for a boy his age to volunteer to help with the Outpost. That was the last thing on his mind. Still, deep in the guts of the city had felt somewhat stifling. Seeing as it was the 60th, it felt like a good excuse to see if there was anything of interest happening at the track.

The boy’s steps were hesitant as he tip-toed through the Windmount stables. For once he really wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it wasn’t for the people bustling around that he tip-toed. It was the horses. The great beasts. Some poked their heads from their stalls and sniffed at him as he passed. There was too much wisdom in their eyes. A different kind from the understanding eyes of Pan. They knew too much and that scared him. He couldn’t keep their gaze and so kept walking.

Eventually he made it to the track where he stood feeling rather small in the snow. With so much open space he was definitely out of his element and yet he often made a point to come. Even if he hadn’t ridden on of the horses, he was fascinated just watching them move. The power behind each step. They were remarkable creatures for sure. The boy’s hands were tucked under his armpits in an attempt to keep his fingers warm and he bounced slightly at the knees in an attempt to keep his body overall warmer. It was noticeably colder out in the near-open with the wind trying to needle through him. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like if someone was outside the castle. Briefly his thoughts went to his father but he pushed those away.

The boy nearly turned to escape the cold when he noticed someone approaching. Instinctively his face narrowed into an expression of wariness as he waited for what they had to say.

[Jade Laken]

Jade whistled as she walked towards the track with Diria beside her. She was only in her wool pants and a small top below her coay. The grey eyed young woman walked inside of the track stopping Diria to make sure the yvas is tight.

"Hold still big girl let me check the yvas. I don't want it coming loose again," Jade said remembering last night she had seen an yvas come loose and the damaged it caused not only to the thrown rider but also to the stallion he had been riding.

The young girl shivered at the memory as she had a little bit of coin on her in case she decided to get any oats for Diria later. The blond haired woman stood up once the straps were tightened and looked over seeing someone out of the corner of her eyes. She turned her head to see a small boy watching the horses and smiled gently at him.

"Hello. Would you like to come pet her?" Jade asked with a smile looking to the small boy who appeared to be freezing.

Jade motioned for Diria to stay put; once sure that the mare would not move. The young girl walked over to the young boy and knelled down to his height with a smile. She was surprised to see someone so young running around without an adult close by.

[Cor Alspach]

"Hello. Would you like to come pet her?"

The question surprised Cor. Not because she asked it, but because he wasn’t sure of the answer. He glanced between the horse and the woman. The woman’s smile was too big. Then she came over and kneeled down in front of him and the smile was much bigger. The boy leaned back and sniffed. He was very tempted to just turn and not grace the woman with an answer but one last look at the horse made up his mind.

Cor sidestepped the woman. “Okay.” He looked at the mare and decided she was a lot less frightening than the woman. The horse didn’t smile. It stared at him but at least it didn’t grin. Without waiting for the woman’s invitation, Cor stepped lightly with one hand held out toward the horse. He nearly touched her nose when her head pulled back. Instantly Cor scowled and turned to the woman. “She doesn’t like me, there’s no point.” He knew it. The horse could see through him. They all could. They were beautiful, yes. Majestic, yes. But they could see through him like people couldn’t. He had a feeling like each horse secretly knew everything he had said, everything he had done.

It isn’t a pretty sight when one is met with their conscience. Especially one so young. The younger you are the harder it is to hide things. Hide memories, things spoken. There’s nowhere for the memories to go, no deep banks of history. Cor hated that.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this upset, feeling almost like he was five again and to his horror real tears (not those handy fake ones) welled up in his eyes that he had to blink away. That was ridiculous. Horses didn’t like him. He could live with that. It wasn’t a problem. Nope. Not at all.

[Jade Laken]

"Nonsense. She just doesn't know you yet. Every horse will act like that until they get used to your scent. She did the same to me when me when I first met her," Jade said with a soft smile to the young boy and ruffled his hair gently.

The young woman looked to Diria petting her muzzle gently. The woman pulled out a carrot and smiles gently to the young boy once more.

"Want to try and feed her?" Jade asked and kneeled down again offering a carrot to him, "the best way for a horse to know you aren't dangerous is to let it eat from your hand just remember don't ball up a fist when holding the food. Leave it in your open palm or Diria could bite you on accident."

She said with a soft closed mouth smile not wanting to scare the boy again. Jade clicked her tongue to get Diria's attention and offered the other carrot up to her as the horse shifted and ate the carrot from the young girls hand. The mare smells Jade's open hand looking for more food. Jade giggled gently looking at the mare.

"Behave silly girl," Jade said and turned her attention to the young boy once more and offered the carrot to him so that he could try.

[Cor Alspach]

The boy wiped his eyes. Nothing prepared him for the woman ruffling his hair though. As gentle and kind-hearted as it was, that was not Cor’s style. He gave a yelp and ducked away from her hand. Within a single instant he went from a rare sadness back to his scowl of disgust. That was better. He was almost happy that she did that, snap him out of his childish wallowing. “Don’t ever do that again,” he told her. His face was dead-serious. He was sure there probably wouldn’t even be an again considering the size of the city and how easily he could vanish if he noticed her.

He shook his head for the offer of the carrot, taking a small step back as the woman kneeled again. Cor crossed his arms once more. He did stay to watch though as the horse ate the carrot from the woman’s hand. The thought of putting his fingers where the horse could accidently bite him didn’t sound like a good idea. If the horse really could see through him as he imagined then it probably wouldn’t hesitate in taking a bite.

He could leave. He could just walk away any time. He probably should have. But he stayed because as weird as the woman was, she was taking the time to let him meet the horse. As much as the horse didn’t like him at least it was an animal and they were far better than the humans. So he would stay. For the horse. Even if it didn’t like him. He still liked it.

“What’s her name?” Cor nodded toward the horse. His voice sounded stiff, even to himself. He shook his head at the offer of the second carrot “No. You can.” He usually kept his distance from the horses but being this close they seemed even bigger. More dangerous. He kept his ground though. From the woman he would move away but at least the horse wasn’t trying to get closer to him.

[Jade Laken]

Jasmine giggles when the horse sniffs beside her ear. She waves the horse away gently.


"Here name is Diria. What is your name little one?" Jade asked with a soft smile looking at the young boy.

She knew that the young boy was nervous, but with a little help could get over his nervousness around horses. Even just coming in and sitting by a stall in the stables where the girl worked would be a good thing.

"If I am not intruding young man. Are you nervous around horses often?" Jade asked looking at the small boy wanting to help him learn that horses are nothing to fear.

[Cor Alspach]

The boy watched with curiosity at how comfortable the woman was with the horse. The woman didn’t mind as the horse’s huge head sniffed near her ear. Didn’t flinch. It reminded him a bit of Pan, he trusted his dog completely, people must be able to make the same connections with horses. He shook the thought from his mind though, lest it follow further down that track. He couldn’t afford to keep a horse and even if he did, what would he do with it? There was a big world outside the city, he was content just to stay.

"Here name is Diria. What is your name little one?"

Diria. He eyed the horse and decided the name fit her quite well. He ignored the question of his own name, especially as it was appended with the title little one. She may not have known it but it was a horrible offense. Cor may have been short, but he was determined to grow. Besides that, he most certainly was not a little one. He had stopped being a child long ago.

Cor untangled one of his hands and went to hold it out once more to the horse but stopped himself upon hearing the woman’s words. "If I am not intruding young man. Are you nervous around horses often?" His hand returned. That was too much. Too close for comfort.

Cor snapped.

“You are intruding,” he spat. Without even so much as a thank you for her time, the boy trudged off through the snow and back to the safe bowels of the city. The last thing he needed was this woman trying to get into his head. He didn’t get her name. No information on her that he could use as payback against her demeaning words, but he could remove himself from the situation. Good riddance.

[Jade Laken]

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend. If you ever want to see Diria she is housed at the Windmont Stables," Jade said and allowed the boy to leave if he wished.

Standing up and stretching feeding Diria the other carrot and smiles gently before mounting up and stretching out as Diria pranced in place excited to run. Laughing gently Jade clicked her tongue to show the mare she could start a slow walk to make sure the cold has not stalled up her movements. Jade growled gently when her hair fell in her face. She took a tie out of her hair and braided her hair over her shoulder so that she could easily untangle it once she was through with her ride.

"Okay big girl small circles first then we will run the course," Jade said with a smile and used her feet to push the horse forward into a trot.

Jade rode on the back of the mare allowing her body to go semi-limp so that it was much easier for the mare to trot. She closed her eyes showing her trust the mare that she was willing to ride with her eyes closed. She thought back to the young boy and realized that much of what she said though not intended to insult the boy may have offended him.

"I hope I didn't offend him by accident," Jade said looking at Diria hoping the mare would hold some answer though nothing came but a snort, "my aren't you helpful today."

[Konrad Venger]

Nice job! Your work has pleased The Sloth! Jade XP: Animal Husbandry - 1 Observation - 1 Socialization - 1 Riding - 1 Lore: Animal Husbandry: Securing the Yvas Socialization: Come On, Don't Be Shy... Click Me! : Cor, lemme know when yer back and have deducted yer Seasonal Expenses and I'll XP you up, too! Well! What an ill-mannered young man! I tells ya, kids these days... tsk-tsk... Oh, and please make sure you go back and edit your post in the Request Thread to reflect the fact this one is now done and dusted. PM me with any questions and later 'tater!