[Aylasa Caves] Reunion (Sturlin & Sam)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Just make sure you use them to hold on to Francis' barrel and you shouldn't break one falling," he said, amused. What he'd said earlier was true: he had been riding since he could walk, so it was all second nature to him. Still, he had been helping Jaeden learn. Surely he could help Sturlin if Sturlin so desired. And he had Francis where Jaeden had no mount to speak of.

[Sturlin]

"What is his barrel?" he asked as he took another bite of fish. The look of puzzlement on his face made it more clear than anything that he knew very little about horses other than how to pack equipment on them and perhaps how to kill them. Not that he had often had occasion to kill a horse, but you never know when someone will attack you while riding on one.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"His ribcage," Sam said, indicating with his hands the rounded barrel--or ribcage--of a horse. He tried not to say it like he thought Sturlin was stupid, but it did take him aback. It always did when someone didn't know the first thing about horses, or seemed not to. Not everyone, he had to remind himself, grew up roughhousing with foals.

[Sturlin]

Sturlin looked over toward the horses and tilted his head to the side curiously. Strange, that they called it a barrel. If he looked hard he could see the resemblance. Still, to him, it seemed as though it was assigning a name to something that already had a name. He could tell that this learning to ride business was going to be more trouble than it was worth. "Alright. His barrel then. What other tips do you offer?"

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam laughed. "Well, if you really want to learn the anatomy of a horse, we can do that, but you already know how to take care of him, it seems. We could just work on the riding part. He's friendly enough I don't think he would take much work to train to a rider."

[Sturlin]

Sturlin set aside what little food remained uneaten in his hands. Brushing his palms off on the scuffed legs of his leather pants he stood and looked down at Sam with a lopsided smile. It would be nice to try something new. Most of what he had been doing was merely reinventing his old talents and skills. "How should I begin? To ride Francis, I mean."

Holding out his other hand he gestured at his trusty steed. Francis looked back at them with a set to his shoulders that suggested he was well aware that something strange was going on. It was not often that the horse found himself completely unsaddled during the day, especially when he was away from the camp. He pawed the earth restlessly with a fore-hoof, snorting.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Well."

Sam set his plate aside, stood up and brushed his hands off on his legs. Walking over to Francis, he stayed in the horse's line of vision and murmured friendly things to him to make sure he wouldn't spook at the sudden nearness of another human.

Once rapport was developed with friendly pats and a bit of sugar he pulled out of his pocket to offer the sorrel stallion, he began to inspect Francis to be sure that there were no hidden health issues.

He passed his hand in front of the eyes, checking for reaction. He checked teeth, smelled breath, nostrils, glands, finally nodding to himself before moving on. His fingers slid down Francis' neck, checking the trachea rings for even spacing, briefly obstructing the jugular vein to see how quickly and evenly it corrected itself.

He checked legs and joints, the digital pulses leading into each hoof. Francis seemed curious as to what he was doing, but not uncomfortable. Sam had been working with horses his whole life. He even seemed to enjoy the feel of Sam's hand stroking backward from his withers to check the alignment of his spine.

Finally, Sam smiled and patted his neck.

"He seems to be in good health," he said, "and he's coldblooded, so he has a good temperament. I'll just throw on a saddle blanket so neither of you get too uncomfortable... I remember you had a saddle, though. That will make it even easier when you ride."

As he spoke, he slid Horse's saddle blanket over Francis and, when he appeared startled, whispered something in Pavi, which calmed him right down.

"Come on. I'll give you a leg up and we can see how you sit a horse."

[Sturlin]

Sturlin watched the exchange between Francis and Sam with curiosity. Even though they hardly knew each other it was like watching two old friends interact. The hunter admitted to himself silently that he had, perhaps, become too used to the self-sufficiency of Mr. Pickles and had neglected to bond with his horse. When the horseman patted Francis on the neck Sturlin took a step forward in anticipation.

"I suppose I did not realize it was for riding. I have only ever used it to carry my things." he said. With a moment's hesitation at the following words of instruction he stepped forward and waiting for Sam to assist him. With a leg up he slipped into Francis' back and sat there uncomfortably. He did not seem to be sure what to do with his legs but eventually wrapped them around the barrel of the horse. With his hands he gently gripped Francis' mane to steady himself and then shifted his grip to the reins. Not too bad. He was still alive, at least.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam grinned, patting Francis on the shoulder, which calmed him down a bit after the awkward mounting business. He kept his hand there to let Francis know that everything was all right.

"I promise that the saddle makes everything better. If you start riding a lot, you'll probably get saddle sore, but once you're used to it, it's not really bad. You're a big fellow, though, so... I mean, you won't break him, but if you're going to ride a lot, the saddle will help him distribute your weight better so he doesn't injure himself. Also, the stirrups help."

He tapped Sturlin on the ankle, smiling.

"And I know it probably feels a little awkward, but the more you relax, the more Francis will relax, and that will make everything more smooth. How do you feel up there?"

[Sturlin]

Sturlin took a deep breath as he was told to relax, and exhaled his tension. As he responded to Sam he was sure to continue taking and releasing deep breaths in an effort to calm himself and, by extension, calm Francis. "I feel alright. Uncomfortable. Do I need to worry about hurting him, bareback?"

Hurting his horse posed by an emotional and a pragmatic concern. The beast was responsible for carrying the majority of his valuable possessions. It would be very difficult to move from place to place if he had to abandon what he could not carry on his own back. Also, Francis was a friend. If he needed to get down off his friend's back and march back up the slope in search of his saddle he would gladly do so. A frown of worry creased his features as he looked down at Sam awaiting further instruction.