Horse shopping (Caoin)

[Bolden Denusk]

Timestamp: 6th of fall, 511 AV

Bolden and Nightwind made their way to the Amethyst herds, even though Laria was nowhere to be found. He missed her and the six years he'd spent among the horse clan. They were terrific with horses and taught him everything he knew about them.

He needed to start shopping for a mare for his strider and get that dream going. To finally breed, raise and train striders! Since the day he and the chocolate stallion had found each other, Bold knew there was nothing he wanted more in his life than to know striders and horses with every fiber of his being.

Nightwind was getting well known enough that Bold felt he could ask a fair stud fee for him as a beginning at least. Neither Laria, her Ankal father, nor her brothers were around. He sighed quietly, accepting that he might never see her again.

The strider tossed his head and arched his neck suddenly and the young Drykas figured there had to be a mare somewhere nearby. He grinned down at his mount and patted his neck affectionately. Now to find someone to talk with about a horse. It was still fairly early, only a couple bells after sunrise so this was prime horse time.

The mingled scents of clean straw, horses, hay, leather and sweat all mingled with the fresh scent of a new morning on a crisp autumn day. Horses nickered and whinnied while hagglers and traders gave voice to the stamina and quality of their horses while Drykas men and women jostled for better views of the colt auction going on. Bolden allowed himself a small smile, the first one in a long time.

[Caoin]

MizNo Challenge: Word of the DayDate: November 11, 2011
Word: Zeal
Definition:

• Fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.

Bolden wasn’t the only one up early that morning. Caoin had risen well before Syna had started her journey into the sky, having decided the night before to take Liath out for an early morning ride before the work day started. She had gotten up and dressed, gathering what items she would need for the day, including a small breakfast and lunch. After making sure that Liath was in condition for a ride, Caoin had slid his yvas on and secured it before mounting him. Bending low over his neck as they approached the opening of her family’s stable, the two exited and Caoin straightened herself once they’d gone through the low entranceway. With a click of her tongue and a gentle squeeze, Liath was off at a trot towards the outskirts of her family’s camp with the intentions of circling around the outer edge of the city for awhile before heading back towards the center to see what new wares and animals would be available.

Moving at a quick trot, Caoin and Liath worked their way around the outer edge of Endrykas, moving past tents and grazing pastures where animals and people were beginning to rise and prepare for their day. She could hear the faint sounds of these people and animals stirring as she rode by. Along the way, Caoin ran into several members of the Watch who were patrolling the borders of the city, all of whom she greeted with respect, raising one hand and nodding to them as they passed eachother. The woman would ask them if they were doing well and if there had been any trouble on their morning rounds, occasionally urging Liath to stop and pull up alongside the watchmen and their striders so that she could have a longer conversation. But as Syna began to show her bright smile where land and sky met in the distance, Caoin turned Liath towards the center of the city, slowing him to a leisurely walk.

Having long since dismounted so that Liath wouldn’t have to bear her wait and tire himself out, Caoin had made her way with him to one of the day’s auctions that were taking place. It was with a great deal of zeal that Caoin was attempting to look over the heads of the crowd that had gathered for the auction she had stopped check out. One hand rested firmly on Liath’s yvas, the tack jostling slightly every time Caoin rose and fell, since the woman was jumping up and down to try and see over the heads of the crowd. It was a rather useless endeavor, she was too short and too far back to see anything really. The woman huffed slightly as Liath turned to look at her. Caoin pressed her face against the stallion’s, stroking the side of his face gently, only to have him huff back at her. “Oh… do I sense a bit of jealousy,” she queried, “Don’t want me looking at other horses?” Caoin chuckled lightly as Liath nickered at her. “Don’t worry, love, you know you’re the only man for me.” The horse tossed his head in approval before affectionately blowing into her face. “Besides,” Caoin continued as she turned away from the auction and began to walk off with Liath at her side, “I can’t afford anymore horses at the moment anyway.”

MizNo Word Count559

[Bolden Denusk]

Bolden kneed Nightwind a bit closer so he could look at the colt better. It was sickle hocked but some clever groom tried to grow out a long tail to obscure the obvious fault. When the young animal turned to more of a profile view, it showed he was goose necked too. He looked at the clan colors of the one selling the horse and made a mental note to check that one off the list.

Women might shop for jewelry or scarves, even if they were broke. It was pretty much the same ideal for Bold when it came to horses. Four stud fees for his strider would cover the cost of a mare for him later on.

OOC :

It's a horse term pun (cover) in the above statement, dry but droll.

The chocolate colored stallion waggled his ears back and forth, wringing his tail. Sure signs of a strider stallion nearby that would make him act out like that. The young Drykas scanned the crowd for the horse that caught Nightwind's attention so strongly. It didn't take long for him to set amber eyes on a fine stallion a few paces to the right.

"Good eye Nightwind! He's nearly your match in size." He rubbed the base of the stallion's neck, trying to calm him. It was a fine strider stallion with glossy coat, clean limbs and a wide barrel. A short, thin woman accompanied him, patting the stallion's cheek. It was good to see a strong bond between strider and rider, and did his heart good to witness it.

Nightwind snorted in irritation and stomped an imperious hoof at being forced to stand still when another stallion dared to exist so close to him! Bolden kept his legs clamped around the horse's sides, knowing these high strung moods were part of the territory in keeping a stud. He dug in his seat more firmly and on this rare occasion, a stern hand on the yvas.

It was a quandary in the making. He'd like a closer look at the stallion and the Drykas woman, but his dark beast wasn't about to make that an easy thing to do. He shrugged and decided that maybe she'd hear him from here, considering they weren't that far apart. She was sure to notice her male's reaction to his horse's anyway.

"That's a fine strider stallion you have you there! He reminds me of the mare StormLady from the Amethyst Clan, Sunstorm Pavilion. I bet he's got endless stamina with that barrel huh? I'm Bolden and this high strung brat is Nightwind."

The stallion chose that moment to neigh a challenge at the woman's strider, and he flung up his head, snorting and arching his thick strong neck.

[Caoin]

Liath snorted, his head turning to look at something that caught his attention as he dug at the ground with one forehoof. You didn’t have to be an expert to know that something was agitating the strider. Caoin’s gaze traveled over the crowd around her, her upper body twisting slightly from the left to the right and back again as she tried to get a view of the entire area. Even as she was looking for the source of her strider’s agitation, Caoin started to move to his side, one hand taking firm hold of his yvas, and the other remaining on his body, stroking from his cheek to his neck. “Easy there, boy. What’s getting you all riled up now?” Caoin’s face was wrinkled with concern, though it wasn’t like this sort of thing wasn’t uncommon in a city full of horse people, there were all manner of situations that one could get into, and it wasn’t easy to avoid them unless you just didn’t want to go anywhere, ever.

Caoin’s attention was drawn to the sound of someone talking over the crowd, and she turned her head to see a Drykas man standing next to a fine chocolate stallion who appeared to be just as irritated by Liath as Liath was by him. Ah, the joys of having two such horses so close together. It made it a little difficult for the riders to be on friendlier terms. She could hear clearly enough what the man was saying about Liath, and couldn’t help but beam with pride. She wasn’t so prideful and rude as to not return the praise though, “Yours is rather handsome as well, what does he stand at?” Much like Bolden, Caoin wanted a closer look, and it was quite annoying that the two stallions were being stubborn about being in the presence of eachother.

It was then that the chocolate strider neighed his challenge to Liath, and then that an idea struck Caoin. “Do you think it might help if we ran it out of them,” she called to the Drykas man as she held tight to Liath’s yvas. The dun strider tossed his head back, pawing anxiously at the ground as he returned the challenging neigh with one of his own. Tiring out an animal usually served to make it more docile. If they ran the two, perhaps by the time they were done, the stallions would be too tired to worry about trying to physically challenge one another in a way that involved fighting. “Maybe a good run along the outskirts of the city? I took a walk around the edge of Endrykas this morning.” She really wanted a good look at that chocolate stallion, he looked gorgeous from where she was standing, she could only imagine what he looked like up close.

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[Bolden Denusk]

"Thanks, he's seventeen hands and--"

Nightwind chose that moment to rear up and throw back his head, almost whacking Bold in the face. He clamped his legs around the horse's barrel and dug in his weight, forcing the horse down to all four legs.

Caoin's suggestion was a good one and nodded to her instead of trying to talk over the throng of people. She had a fine looking piece of horseflesh that he'd love to study better.

He nudged the strider through the large groups of Drykas and when the animal neighed loudly, they were smart enough to clear a path for both of the stallions to leave the crowd.

The enormous stallion saw the break in the crowd and rushed forward, headlong for Liath. As great as it was for Bolden to get to finally see the well marked animal, he needed to divert his strider's attention fast. Leaning forward, he swiped his left hand over Nightwind's ear causing him to suddenly veer toward the abrupt touch instead of the other stallion.

Bolden guided him toward the open field, and shot a look over his shoulder to find Liath and Caoin. She'd had a perfect idea with this! If they could get these horses chasing each other and just running themselves out, it would be a big help to diffuse the situation.

He leaned forward over the horse's neck, urging him onto greater speed as only a strider can achieve. The grass blurred beneath him looking like endless waves of green oceans and the wind made his eyes tear. It was like flying and there was no better feeling in the world! He felt the horse's muscles bunch and release beneath him, the hooves beating a special rhythm reflected in the Web of all living things.

[Caoin]

Caoin watched the other stallion rear up, throwing back his head as he was ready to go at Liath. Liath was just as eager to at him as well, as he started to dance in place, his head bobbing up and down in agitation. There was no avoiding it, something was going to have to be done. Caoin moved around and vaulted onto Liath’s back, taking hold of the yvas. Lucky for her, but mostly for the people who would have been in the way, Bolden and his stallion had already cleared a path. Her heels pressed against Liath’s side, “Yah,” she urged him on through the crowd. Liath bolted, Caoin whipping backward with a good deal of force that nearly caused her to lose her balance. The horse had been holding a good deal of tension in his body and he was eager to release it.

The crowd remained parted as Caoin and Liath followed close behind Bolden and Nightwind. When the two hit the field not far behind the all-male pair, Liath’s speed increased as he drew help from the Cyphrus web. The woman on his back leaned forward, her body hovering above the strider’s neck. The horses were competing, and that spirit of competition couldn’t help but spread to Caoin. She wanted her horse to catch up to the other stallion and pass him. Not so she could brag or prove anything, but merely for the fun of the sport. Her hair whipped in the wind as Liath’s legs propelled him over the sea of emerald grass. The world around them blurred as the only things Caoin and Liath focused on were the other strider and his rider. This is what Liath enjoyed most, as she knew it. The horse loved to run because running through the Sea was freedom. That vast expanse that seemed to continue on forever was freedom, running across it with nothing to stop you was freedom. Caoin smiled, “Come on, Liath, let’s show them what the Silverstrider stallions are made of,” she called to the horse as she cheered him on.

Caoin’s own heart pounded to the rhythm of the horse hooves, and as the wind hit her body and the world passed her by, she knew what Liath felt. Many a time she had run through the grass, the cool blades under her bare feet, wanting nothing more than to feel what the horses felt. She wanted to be the horse, and this was as close as she could get, her body pressed against Liath’s their hearts almost beating as one as he carried her along on his run. Caoin could not have suggested anything better as a solution for the dilemma they had been faced with. Her gaze rested on the horse and rider in front of him and she watched the chocolate stallion’s body as he moved, marveling at the beauty and grace he possessed. He was a fine animal indeed; she couldn’t wait until they stopped to let the horses rest.

MizNo Word Count503

[Bolden Denusk]

Nightwind pinned back his ears as the sleek dun strider matched his breath taking pace, caught up in the competition of strength. Bolden couldn't be more pleased with it, and grinned hugely. Liath was just enough out of reach so the stallions couldn't bite each other, but close enough for him to finally get a good look.

The handsome Silverstrider stallion's gait was as smooth as a ship over water and had a gleaming hide like silk. Liath and Nightwind ran neck and neck and Bold loved every chime of it. He watched the slim woman crouched over the horse's neck, riding high and well.

They'd already traveled much further, much faster than he'd intended and he finally slowed Nightwind to a lively walk. A light breeze cooled the sweat from their skin after a hard run and it was more than a little welcome. It had felt good, no, great, to just run free. To run from the memories that haunted him waking and sleeping. No familiar faces to remind him of exactly what he was trying to forget.

It was ironic. To lose your memory for six solid years, get it back for a season and wish it away again so quickly. How had it come to this? What the hell was wrong with him? He had a cute girl riding by his side with nothing but open land and sky in every direction. Everything was so wide and unfettered out here. No places for shadows to hide or secrets to form.

The grain heavy tops of the grasses bent in the breeze, rippling like the muscles under a well bred strider's coat. Speaking of which, Liath was a final example of exactly that. A very well made stallion with what looked to be many bells of training in him. His transitions were flawless and despite the sweat, his hide still gleamed from the previous good grooming.

His eyes traveled up to the delicate, finely boned woman astride Liath. Her expressive little face and tiny hands seemed like the direct opposite of the powerful animal she rode. Yet her firm seat, kind hands, relaxed posture and intelligent eyes belayed her slight physical frame. The pair responded well to each other and it was obvious that their bond was strong, deep and loving.

"Now that we can talk, you can let me know your name and your strider's. Did you breed him yourself? What's his lineage? How old is he?"

Bolden could talk horses forever if given the opportunity and the company of a pretty girl was always an added incentive for conversation. He rubbed a hand over Nightwind's neck, checking his surface temperature. These stallions would need a thorough cooling walk so he and the girl would have ample time to talk.

[Caoin]

The strider stallions raced neck and neck, the wind catching Liath’s mane and tail, not to mention his rider’s own mane of hair, and they were like shredded banners of fine silk strands. Caoin’s body was close to her strider’s own, feeling him beneath her, listening to him. She was excited by the race, just as excited as the dun stallion, but she knew that excitement could sometimes be a weakness for her bonded. He was stubborn when it came to establishing his dominance, especially since she was one of the better stallions from her family’s own herd. Like most riders, there were times when she had to keep him in check around other horses. They had traveled around the outskirts of the city that morning, and she knew that he might still be tired from that, she didn’t want him to push himself too far because of a challenge, and she certainly didn’t want to push him too far simply for the thrill of the race. She wouldn’t be much of a rider and animal lover if she did. As they ran, Caoin kept a closer eye on Liath than she did on the strider and rider that were beside them, but the pair didn’t go unnoticed or unexamined while they were closer enough for a better look.

Nightwind’s chocolate coat and flaxen mane and tail were an excellent combination of coloring, she hadn’t seen many striders with such colors. Most were the normal duns or buckskins, sometimes a palomino here or there. Most often, she would see semes with that particular coloring, and her interest was piqued by the coloring of the strider’s coat and mane. It wasn’t just the color that was impressive though, the horse was an impressive beast of good breeding in general. He was a more than a match for her own steed, which probably didn’t please Liath none, and as well trained as any of the horses from her family’s pavilion. The man who rode him took excellent care of him, that Caoin was sure of.

The scent of the grasslands surrounded the riders and their mounts as they ran, a scent that never seemed to fade for Caoin, despite that she’d been around it all of her life. One generally got used to the smells that they encountered on a daily bases, and eventually these would simply cease to be noticed, but Caoin made sure that she took notice each and every day. Like the smell of horse sweat and leather, the smell of the grass was a part of her home, and she always wanted to know those smells. They were part of what reminded her that she was alive. As the male rider slowed his stallion to a walk, Caoin followed suit, running a hand along Liath’s neck, pleased with how he had run and further pleased that was far calmer than he had been before. The run had had the effect that she had hoped it would and the walk that followed would offer the four, riders and horses, a good chance to get used to eachother’s company. Relaxing on her horse’s back in the gentle breeze of the grasslands, Caoin turned her attention to the other rider. The sun was warm, but those breezes provided enough cool air that it wasn’t sweltering and they could relax for awhile with the horses.

The Drykas woman couldn’t tell his age compared to her own, but he was certainly more physically imposing when compared to slender figure. Of course, his physical dominance wasn’t something that concerned the woman. She continued to examine him even as he started to question her about Liath, and as she responded, not in sexual way, mind you. “I am Caoin, and this is Liath,” she answered as she gave her strider a good, solid pat. The animal tossed his head in response as he continued to walk alongside of the other pair. “He was bred by my father, about… twenty-four seasons ago,” that sounded about right to her after she’d counted it up in her head to make sure. “What about you and him,” she nodded to the chocolate strider. “He looks like he could take Liath, and that coat of his, I don’t think I’ve seen many with that coloring. How did he come by it?” She couldn’t help but think about how she’d love to get her hands on some striders of that coloring to add to her family’s herd. If he wasn’t already bonded, she’d probably try to get him. Of course, there was always a chance that arrangements could possibly be made for a studding in the future if the rider wished to continue the stallion’s line.

Dreams and wishes aside, Caoin leaned over and reached out to the other rider after freeing one hand from the yvas. She offered the freed hand to him in greeting, her grip firm, a warm smile stretching across her features.

MizNo Word Count825

[Bolden Denusk]

It was one of those rare autumn days of gentle warmth and playful breezes that cooled you as you needed it. The sun climbed higher in the sky, its golden rays adding a touch of shine to everything. The sleek, glossy stallions finally walked side by side, calm and well mannered.

With light amber eyes, Bolden watched the slim woman as she spoke, noting her delicate facial features and her small, but capable hands. Caoin was everything a Drykas female should be. Her dewy, glowing skin tinged with a sun kissed hue, was graced with a smattering of freckles over her shoulders and the bridge of her nose.

She looked at him with bright, clear eyes and an intelligent and confident expression. The Drykas female didn't just sit on the horse, she seemed an integral part of Liath with no separation of body or thought. Although her frame was slender and her height unimpressive, her carriage and posture bespoke an easy strength that didn't need loud words or tough language.

The handsome strider beneath her said as much of her as if Liath could talk. His long, sensitive ears were alert and attentive to his rider. The hard muscles and long elegant legs told of bells upon bells of careful training. His clever eyes were keen, but trusting giving his expression a truly content appearance.

Bolden recognized the look in his own strider and new the infinite patience needed to make a stallion fit for anyone's company. Unadulterated testosterone didn't just cause physical changes like thicker necks and heavier weight on a horse. An intact male horse is innately more competitive, high strung, reactive, aggressive and athletic, so a firm hand is necessary in constant training and handling. Otherwise the animal could be dangerous to himself and others; some even to the point of becoming man killers.

When Caoin brought up his favorite topic, he was only too happy to answer. Bolden smiled proudly at his strider like a parent with a gifted child, and replied,

"Nightwind is about the same age as Liath. I worked and lived in the Amethyst clan within the Sunstorm Pavilion from thirteen to nineteen years old. I found a foal twenty six seasons ago, laying by his dead dam. She was in the in-foal herd in the far western corner and must have foaled a little too early. She was WildWind, and shared pasture space with their now deceased top stallion, NightStorm. My strider gets the unusual coloring from him."

He reached down with an affectionate hand to rub Nightwind's shoulder and after a pause, he continued.

"Although it doesn't show very well when he's sweaty like right now, he has a raven black streak across his shoulders and down his back to his rump. Now that he's old enough and has some training under his yvas, he's prime for the breeding shed. His coat color alone puts him in demand for stud, but I want to make sure he finds only the best mares."

Bolden eyed Liath's unique sheen and felt compelled to ask the same question of his rider.

"What about your Liath? That silvery sheen to his coat is rare and bound to attract attention. Are you having the same problem I am? There are too many with mares that would only think of his coat instead of the quality of their mare's conformation. Who are his sire and dam? Maybe I've heard of them."

[Caoin]

Caoin and Liath certainly did have a strong bond, considering the way in which their bond had formed. She owed him everything, most of all, her life; to say that the love between the two was strong was an understatement. The Drykas woman could see that Bolden and Nightwind also had a strong bond, the same sort of familial bond that she and Liath shared, as if Bolden and Nightwind were brothers. This sort of bond could usually be found between a bonded pair that had been together for the amount of time that Bolden and Nightwind had been together, or Liath and herself. It was true that the strength of a newly formed bond was a formidable thing; but that strength always grew the longer the pair was together. With a careful eye, one could sometimes spot the differences between a newly formed pair and one that had been together for seasons, though it didn’t always work that way. It was possible for a new bond to be just as strong, depending on the pair and the circumstances in which they came together. It was like the bonds that formed between people, sometimes there were bonds that were just naturally stronger, like when people simply clicked, coming together like the pieces of a puzzle.

The pride that Bolden had in Nightwind was evident as he talked about the strider and his lineage. Though, the story of how Bolden found Nightwind was a sad one, Caoin knew that those sort of things happened and that they were a part of life. Nightwind’s mother had died, but Caoin could see that her death had not been in vain. She had produced fine offspring and from the circumstances of her death, a strong bond had been allowed to grow and form between her offspring and Bolden. The names of Nightwind’s sire and dam sounded somewhat familiar to the woman, though not as familiar as the pavilion that they hailed from. She knew that she recognized the name Sunstorm as another family within her own clan, since the families of the Amethyst clan tended to work together very closely to keep track of the breeding that took place between pavilions. It was good to know which pavilions had the best herds, their best horses, whether your horses were related to any of their horses, etc. Caoin was familiar with some of this information, and knew that she’d heard of the Sunstorm pavilion, and knew that it was Nightwind’s sire, Nightstorm, that sounded the most familiar of the two parents. It was probably because Nightstorm was the parent that Nightwind’s coat color came from. A sire with that sort of coloring was sure to be familiar to many.

Bolden turned the conversation back to Liath again, and Caoin nodded to answer his question. “Yeah, I get plenty of offers, but like you, I’m picky about the mares I want him to produce offspring with. There is no need to produce offspring simply for a coat color,” Caoin stated, sighing softly at the idea of breeding horses for such a vain reason. “The health and condition of the offspring should come first and foremost. I don’t want to see his offspring end up unhealthy because I did not choose the right dam,” this Caoin was adamant about. “As for his sire and dam, they would be Ciarán and Muireann, respectively,” Caoin moved on to his next question. “They are the pride of the Silverstrider Pavilion, my father’s two best horses,” she continued wistfully. It was evident the woman dreamed of having an equally astounding pair of horses, an equally astounding mare for her stallion. She didn’t want to miss the chance to continue his line, it would be a waste if he couldn’t produce any offspring, and she was pretty sure he’d be particularly unhappy if he never got the opportunity to mate. Caoin turned her full attention back to the other rider, “By the way, I don’t think I caught your name?”

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