Completed [Windmount Stables] What long teeth you have! (Viper)

[Edreina]

83rd of Summer, 513 AV 13th Bell Windmount Stables As the smells and sounds of horses filled Edreina's senses, the redhead suddenly froze in the sunlight, paling and and quivering lightly. Horses. To a woman who had spent her entire life upon the sea, dealing with creatures with fins, horses were a terrifying notion. Four long, powerful legs capped by fierce hooves, capable of delivering crippling blows; a mouth full of wedge-shaped teeth, perfect for biting a chunk of out of someone's flesh. They were fierce creatures that could easily kill a man, let alone a flighty redhead. And yet, here she was, in the one place where horses outnumbered humans. Why? Because the Svefra was considering breaking tradition in the name of l-... in order to tie up some loose ends. Across the continent was Zeltiva, the port city of the outer oceans. She could always sail there, she had considered it occasionally while a youth, but it would take far longer than the time she had allotted. Razkar was leaving in two days, and she damn sure was not going to be left behind. And so, with a deep breath, Edreina strode forward in search of someone to help her, though she was loathe to rely upon anyone. This time, however, she realized that choosing the wrong horse was as bad as choosing the wrong mainsail for your ship, and a bit more expensive. After talking to two stable hands, Edreina finally found the owner of the stables, a slender woman with dark hair and eyes bearing the name Serena. At that moment, the woman was leading a mare back to her stall - the only reason Edreina knew the horse's gender took the form of a springy-legged foal bounding about behind it's mother, constantly attempting to gain access to her teat despite the mother's chastising nickers. Despite her lingering fear, Edreina acknowledged that horses were absolutely adorable when they were young. Then again, she had never really seen an ugly baby animal... except birds. They somehow managed to remain ugly throughout their entire lives. Prying herself from the tangent thoughts, Edreina loped over to the woman as she slid the stall's door shut, catching her attention mid-brow wipe. "Pardon me, but I would like to buy a horse." Her nerves caused her voice to tremble slightly upon the final word, but Edreina placed her hands behind her back demurely, attempting to at least composed. "Figured as much," the horsewoman replied with an easy smile, leaning against the wall. "Never had one before, have you? I'll have to ask you a few questions before I match you with a horse. Come, we will talk on our way." She quickly pushed herself up off of the wall and set a brisk pace towards one of the other barns. Immediately, Edreina smiled at the incredibly astute woman. She could tell that Serena was a straight-to-the-point person who did not mess around. So, without hesitation, Edreina hurried to match the slightly shorter woman's pace, awaiting her questions. To her delight, they came quickly and efficiently. "What will the horse be used for?" "Overland travel, from here to Zeltiva and back." Nodding to herself, the experienced horsewoman had already compiled a list of horses that would fit the redhead's proportions, and now that she knew what it would be used for, she was able to narrow it down even further, a few horses coming to mind specifically. With a keen gaze, the woman turned to see how the woman walked, how she carried herself, the length of her hands and the amount of strength there. She would be able to physically handle an ornery horse, but could she do so mentally? "What do you do for a living?" "I'm a barmaiden here, but a sailor by birth." Edreina's blue eyes flashed with pride as she hinted at her heritage. So, used to dealing with harsh natural conditions and unruly drunks... the woman thought, crossing out the most wild horses simply because the woman was a novice rider, but keeping a few headstrong creatures in her mental queue, she figured that their temperament would entice the redhead. Already, Serena had a single ideal horse in mind. Now for the kicker question. "How much were you looking to spend on a horse." Edreina faltered, looking down for an instant. Her innate Whitewave business savvy demanded that she start out claiming less than she wanted. That way, when the bartering naturally went up, it would be close to what she actually wanted to pay. But at the same time, she really wanted to get the best horse she could for the trip. "100 Gold-rimmed Mizas would be my limit," Edreina said with a shrug, unable to meet the woman's eyes. Lying? Yes that had never been her strong suit. Serena frowned as two of her favorites were cut out of the lineup. Ah, well, there was always a perfect horse in anyone's price range. She just had to be smart enough to find it. "See that corral?" The woman motioned with hands slightly marred by a multitude of scars and a few barely crooked fingers from all the hazards that being a horse woman brought. It took her a moment to realize that the woman had said corral and not coral, but eventually Edreina was able to nod. "Go over there and wait. I will start bringing horses for you to meet. If one suits your fancy, I'll get some tack and you can start learning to ride." Without pausing, Serena and Edreina parted ways, leaving the redhead to lean against the corral's wall with a bitten lip and a nervous heart.

[Viper]

The morning had been pleasant enough. A nice cool breeze blew pushing away some of the stink the city with its large mass of people all living on top of one another tended to produce. He admittedly never did enjoy his time to much inside the fortress. Much to crowded, not enough green, wide open spaces. But in the end, this was the best place in all Miz for his new venture. And he found he'd simply have to deal with it. Course, with the amount of gold he now had coming in, he'd soon be able to set up his operation away from the city. In point of fact he already had the perfect spot.

But that was all for another time in the future. Today brought about a small set of inconveniences on its own. It saw a strap on his beginning to snap. So before the damage became to great, Viper ventured into the city once again and headed toward a place called the Windmount Stables. There he hoped to be able to find someone who could repair the damage. Or worst case scenario, be able to buy a new Yvas. Though he wasn't to fond of the latter idea, as his Yvas had been with him for some time. It have many special markings and decorations that symbolized Viper's heritage, his family which had been added over the years. Viper was a simple man, but the things he did posses really did usually carry a lot of meaning for him.

Trotting through the main gates of the establishment, Viper was pleased to have made it without incident. Now coming within full view of anyone inside, his eyes began to scan for the owner when all of the sudden...

SNAP!

The damaged strap had finally given way to the rigors of years of constant travel, wear and tear. The sudden sound along with the unpleasant snap against Aeyan's underbelly startled him. Aeyan bucked once, very nearly sending Viper tumbling to the floor. "Whoah! Aeyan, easy!" A shift in the Yvas as it began to give way, caused another strap to pinch the flesh. Although Aeyan heard his master and friend, the rapid succession of uncomfortable feelings caused Aeyan to rear up in an attempt to free itself of the compromised item.

Vipers legs tightened around his Striders body, and he lowered himself to be flush with Ayean's back so as not to be thrown. Aeyan neighed before finally coming back down to the ground. Instead of righting himself upward when Aeyan levelled though, Viper kept his body pressed to Aeyan's. Running a hand along his neck, Viper spoke softly, trying to calm his friend down. Trusting in the tone and voice of his rider. Aeyan finally did just that. When Viper was sure, Aeyan was settled, he dismounted and began to free his friend of the Yvas, at this point, completely unaware of anyone nearby...

[Edreina]

Final Horse Reference Edreina watched with mute horror as three horses were led over by Serena and some barn hands. Two seemed docile enough, but the third in line was a buckskin mare with a bad attitude. She continuously pulled at her lead, shaking her head and prancing sideways. Immediately, at the pale look on the woman's face, Serena nodded to herself and had the spirited mare returned to her stall. The other two were far more mild mannered, and Serena felt that they would be the best matches for the young woman. The first horse was a Mixed-Breed filly with a grullo coat. This was the horse that Serena wanted to sell to sell to the woman, but she could not be too open about it, not if she wanted to make a fair amount of mizas. The second horse was picketed beneath a tree a short ways off so that the interraction of the two horses did not hinder how the filly reacted to the redhead. "This is Miska'morre, a 3 year old filly." To Serena, a horse did not become a mare until she had her first foal, despite the constant disagreement that existed within the equestrian community. When Edreina made no move to come meet the horse, Serena led the horse the final few feet, nodding that Edreina should pet the horse or... something. "She is still a bit new under saddle, but she is very smart and seems to learn new things quickly. She also has a very steady gait which is good for a Novice rider." As the horsewoman spoke, Edreina reached out and offered her palm to the horse to sniff. When the slender-faced horse eagerly began to snuffle her palm, searching for a treat, the woman all but leapt from her skin, causing the horse to start as well and eye her warily. Would she ever get over the odd feeling of those wiry whiskers that adorned a horse's fleshy lips? Smiling apologetically at the horse, Edreina reached out again, this time running her hand up the horse's snout to massage the bridge of its nose with her thumb. All seemed to be going well until Edreina looked the horse in the eyes. In that moment, all of her fear of horses came skittering back, quickening her heart. What malicious intents were hidden behind those black-veiled eyes? When it blinked, revealing its midnight orb once again, Edreina realized that she could not tell if the horse was happy, sad, annoyed or even just complacent. Sure, there were other signs of a horse's mood - ear placement, tail motions, and simple overall body language - but the redhead was aware of none of them. To her, this horse was a fathomless pit of unknown behavior, of constant plotting. For all she knew, the horse would bite off her fingers the first time the Svefra was kind enough to offer her a carrot. With a soft, nearly sad sigh, Edreina took a step back and shook her head at Serena, averting her disappointed blue gaze to the dirt beneath her boots. The horsewoman had really hoped that Miska'morre would have been a good match for the woman, for the other horse was very dear to her heart. As the stablehand led the creature into the sunlight, Serena marveled at how patches of his fur gleamed like starlight, like molten silver, and yet that was part of his defect. Windrunners were expected to be either white or gray, sometimes with dappling, but never with the marks of a Paintedmount. And yet, here walked Jorven, the offspring of one of her finest stallions. She had been experimenting with double dilute breedings, attempting to create a horse of a purer white. Instead, something unanticipated had occurred and Jorven had been born with nearly black spots upon his hide, thought they have lightened with time, leading her to believe that at some point, some stable hand had screwed up and let Jorven's dam alone with a horse that they were boarding. But no, that could not have happened, not here. Despite his imperfections, Jorven was a tall, strong horse and he was, in all honesty, one of the sweetest horses she had ever met. But he was far from intelligent as far as horses went. Sure, he had taken to being ridden well enough, but it seemed as if he had a mental delay. You would tap his ribs and he would take two more steps before speeding up. He was slow to anger, slow to curiosity, and just slow in general. All of these factors had caused Serena to geld the male and put him up for sale. Despite her decision, there was always a hesitance when it came to finally making the sale, and she would often attempt to sell a customer a cheaper horse if it meant being able to keep Jorven around a bit longer. But this woman, this fiery haired woman of the sea, she seemed different from others she had met. From the few chimes they had been in company, Serena had sensed an unebbing vitality, a lust for life itself in the woman. Perhaps, as hesitant as she was to admit it, that was what Jorven needed. After trading leadropes with the stablehand, Serena began to speak of the horse, voice displaying her obvious fondness, her bond with the creature as openly as the hand she raised to stroke his enormous white cheek. "This is Jorven- pronounced Yorr-van -and he is 6 years old. He is very reliable under the saddle so long as you are patient with him, so long as you give him the opportunity to understand your commands. He requires patience and gentleness, but he will love you unconditionally." As if to emphasize her words the horse turned and bumped his velvety nose against the woman's cheek. When the creature turned its head, Edreina cocked her own head to the side curiously. This horse, it had fair blue eyes; eyes that were unlike any she had seen before. From those blue eyes, Edreina was able to sense a sort of stillness. It was not the kind that masked ill-intent, nor the kind that settled over someone - or something, in this case - the moment before they ended your life. In Jorven Edreina saw a simple peacefulness that calmed her. Eyes locked upon his blue eyes, Edreina stepped forward and began stroking the horse's cheek, a small, soft smile upon her lips as she began to stroke down the horse's muscular neck. "Hello, Jorven..." Her voice was soft, still unsure despite how comfortable she already felt with this beast. In that moment, Serena saw both what she had been hoping for and fearing. With a small sigh, the woman opened the paddock and ushered both the woman and the horse into it, handing the lead rope over to the woman with an encouraging smile. "Go ahead and get to know him... I'll be right back with some tack." As the woman began to walk away, leaving Edreina alone with a species she had feared above all others for as long as she could remember, the Svefra waited for fear to quicken her heart, to put a quake into her limbs. And yet it never came. Instead she found herself petting his face and neck, at ease under his steady blue gaze. He truly was a magnificent animal, in her eyes. His coat was the most pure white, spotted only occasionally across his chest, his back, and his joints. The darkest point on the horse was the dark gray spot that covered his ears like a skintight hat. His silvery hair was tinged with a coppery color, and felt ever so soft to the touch. As she ran a hand over his pink muzzle, Edreina did not fear the horse biting her fingers, just as she did not fear his lashing hooves as he adjusted his weight with a content huff. Smiling, Edreina leaned forward to plant a kiss on the horse's broad cheek. Perhaps, all along, she had only needed to meet the right horse.

[Viper]

With the busted yvas finally off Ayean, Viper began to scan the area for someone he could take it to and inquire of services to have it fixed. What he soon found though, captured his attention. A redhead stroking a horse in a pen nearby. Viper tilted his head to the side ever so slightly as he tried to get a better look at the woman. Why did she looks so familiar?

It was then images flashed through his mind. Images of battle. Images of men dying. The sounds of deafening screams and roars. A great beast, flying overhead with only their death and destruction on its mind... Of course! She was the fiery redhead from the monster hunt not that long past. What was her name again? Edith...? No. Evelyn...? No Edreina...? Edreina...? He said again in his mind, letting the sound of the name jog his memory. Edreina! Yes, that was it! A smile soon tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched the woman for a moment interact with the horse He wondered if she was looking to buy the horse, or if she was here on other business. In any event, it didn't really matter.

Yvas in hand, Viper strolled on over to Edreina to say hi. Maybe catch up a bit. The last time he had seen her after all was when they parted ways, lucky to have still been alive after the encounter to slay that Balicani. Moving to the edge of the pen that she and the horse were in, he gently rested his yvas on the railing and cleared his throat to get her attention while at the same point not spooking the animal.

With a warm, friendly smile about his face, and in a friendly tone he then spoke up. "Good mornin' las. It's a pleasure to see you again. How have you been since our encounter with that monster? All healed up yet?" He finished nodding his head toward her injuries inflicted early on in their battle. As he waited for her response, he half began to wonder were apparent significant other was. Albeit surprised the fierce one would let a cute little thing like her out of his sight for very long, as he had seen so many a time with over eager suitors. He was nevertheless pleased, to see the man seemed to give her the space any person deserved. He quickly pushed the thoughts away from his mind however, as he focused his attention on her.

[Edreina]

"Good mornin' las. It's a pleasure to see you again. How have you been since our encounter with that monster? All healed up yet?" Edreina turned and smiled at the man, recognition flashing over her features after only a tick. She was, unlike the Drykas, very good with names. Especially when the man's name was Viper and they met to fight a snake. Little things like that tended to spark a memory. She only wondered how on earth he had come to take such an odd name. Was it given to him from birth or did he claim it for himself or was it a name his friends had given him? Either way, the Svefra actually trusted this Drykas. To answer his question, Edreina passed the lead rope to her other hand and pulled her shirt up to her ribcage. A mottled black and violet and blue and sickly green bruise marred her flesh like an angry child's painting, made rough in appearance by the dozens of small scabs, remnants of where the Balicani's scales had torn through her skin. It was still painful, but bearable. Dropping her shirt, Edreina turned to the horse and started to back up slowly, begging it to follow her with softly spoken Fratavan, blue eyes gentle upon his. After a tick, he decided to comply and the Svefra backed up all the way to the fence so that she and Viper could speak more comfortably. An instant after she turned to the man and his horse, eyeing his beast thoughtfully. It was a pretty thing - or handsome, she could not quite tell its equipment from where she stood - with a flaxen mane and a body the color of wet sand. Its brown eyes made her a bit nervous, but... well it seemed kindly enough. A sharp nudge from Jorven surprised Edreina, widening her blue eyes for a fraction of an instant. The fear was gone quickly as the horse nuzzled her arm, nickering quietly for her attention. With a soft smile previously reserved for sea creatures and Navis, Edreina used her free hand to rub her way down the horses neck, thumb making small circles in his soft, silvery fur. And then Edreina remembered Viper. With an apologetic smile, she shrugged, nodding to the horse. "Sorry... This is Jorven. I think he might be my horse..." She smiled fondly and the horse bumped his nose against her cheek at the sound of his name. "Well I know actually... he's already managed to grow on me. Anyway. How have you been since the Balicani?"

[Viper]

Edreina's way of response took him slightly by surprise. Considering who he was, most people were usually quite reserved around Viper. He was pleased to see she did not seem to possess the same suspicious uneasiness around a Drykas most deservedly felt these days. He looked at the black and blued area with a bit of a grimace, and shook his head. "Good grief. That thing really clobbered ya good. Ah well, at least we survived to tell the tale eh?"

He paused as he regarded the woman turning back to her horse. He stance with the animal seemed a little uneasy to him. Almost as if, she didn't know what a horse was or at least how to act around them. The surprised look that took over her countenance only served to reinforc this observation. Could it be perhaps, that this was her first horse? Being of the horse clans himself, the idea of someone not being familiar with them was still a strange thing to Viper. But then again, he assumed people of the sea probably felt them same way about those not knowing much about ships. In the end, he simply smiled and approached "Jorvin".

"Oh I've been doing alright. Managed to track down a couple of the families of the deceased to return their personal effects. But I'm afraid I couldn't locate them all. Also lookin' at startin' a business of sorts, here in Syliras. Seems to be going well so far...but we'll see how things fare in the long run."

Reaching out, slowly at first. He lay a gentle hand on Jorvin's neck. Slowly running down and through his main in a way that really showed Viper's own comfort level around horses. "Good morning Jorvin. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Viper." He finished with half a chuckle before turning away a whistling a short tune. Not more than a few ticks later, his Strider came happily trotting up. Viper turned and stopped him a short distance away from the two.

"I seem to recall you having seen him before." He said to Edreina. "But I don't think you actually met him. This fleabag you see before you is Aeyan. He's been my good friend for four years now." Aeyan neighed what seemed to be a sort of greeting as Viper looked back to Jorvin. Looking it over for a moment longer, he turned back to Edreina with a warm smile. "It's a fine looking horse. I'd have to see you two interact a bit more, but he seems from outside appearances to be a good fit for you. Will he be your first horse by any chance?

[Edreina]

"I seem to recall you having seen him before. But I don't think you actually met him. This fleabag you see before you is Aeyan. He's been my good friend for four years now." Edreina laughed and nodded to Aeyan, saying how nice it was to meet him. At the sight of Edreina giving even her attention to another horse, Jorven turned and bumped her shoulder lightly, lipping at her shoulder until the Svefra started to scratch under his large jaw and behind his tall ears. As much as she liked the slick skin of dolphins and whales, Edreina found herself becoming enamored with the feeling of a horse's fur. It was warm and soft and danced in the light. "It's a fine looking horse. I'd have to see you two interact a bit more, but he seems from outside appearances to be a good fit for you. Will he be your first horse by any chance?" Both horse and soon to be owner seemed to gleam at the compliment. Indeed, Jorven was a beautiful horse in her opinion, with fur the color of a whitecap as it rolled through the air, glittering and shining, and eyes the color of the sky at noon. He had strong legs, a barrel-esque chest, and a straight back, but none of those things had much importance to the seafarer. "Yes... He is my first horse. Before him I was terrified of horses, actually. But... I don't know. He seems to be a bit different. I feel like I can trust him." Smiling in a way that made her silver-flecked eyes sparkle, Edreina kissed the horse's wide cheek. "Do you... have any advice for me?" Who better to ask about horses than a Drykas?

[Viper]

Viper's eyebrows raised at the question. "Oh my, well there is quite a bit for a novice rider to know and learn..." He paused, thinking for a moment about his day and what he had to do. "...Tell ya what. If you're not busy today, I'd be more than happy to teach you a thing or two about horses if ya like? How to ride, care for, and otherwise become close to your new friend here. Sound like a plan?"

He gave her a chance to respond before nodding his head. "Well, let me get my yvas into one of the people here to see if I can't get this thing repaired, and I'll rejoin you in a few chimes." Viper gave a slight bow to excuse himself, tied his horse up, and then headed into the shop to find someone. Not too much time later, Viper spotted Ulliver Windmount. After explaining the problem he had and service he wanted, he left his Yvas and went in search of the proprietor of this establishment.

Just his luck, he was able to catch her before she went back outside to meet Edreina. "Excuse me ma'am. That windrunner out there. The one named Jorven. Might I ask how much you plan to sell it for?"

Selena cocked an eyebrow at the Drykas, looked out at the Edreina with the horse and back to Viper. "Well I was selling him for 75 gold mizas, but I'm afraid you're just a little late. I'm fairly certain the young lady out there is going to purchase him. If your looking for another windrunner though, I might have something for you. Shall I go see what I have available?" She offered in a friendly tone.

Viper though held up his hands in a you misunderstood me sort of way. "Oh no, that's not what I meant. I mean I'm going to purchase the horse for her. She's a friend of mine. Could you just not tell her I did so please? Say it was a gift because it's her first horse, and you've had trouble selling Jorven anyway or something. Would you do that for me?" As he awaited her response, he pulled out his money bag and withdrew 75 gold mizas, quickly handing them over with a smile.

Selena was taken aback by the odd request and hesitated just a moment before taking the money. "Very well sir. I'll see what I can do for you." She nodded to Viper before walking away, most likely right back to Edreina. Viper meanwhile, went back the way he came and exited the buildings through the way he came. Making sure to not arrive with, or even at the exact same time as Selena. In fact, he allowed Selena to beat him there, and simply walked up next to the group of woman and horses, standing silently as he waited for them to finish their conversation.

[Edreina]

"Oh my, well there is quite a bit for a novice rider to know and learn... Tell ya what. If you're not busy today, I'd be more than happy to teach you a thing or two about horses if ya like? How to ride, care for, and otherwise become close to your new friend here. Sound like a plan?" The blue-eyed woman beamed up at the Drykas, an expression she thought would never exist in one's presence. "That would be great!" Her smile lasted a few ticks after Viper left to take care of his business. Alone with the horse once again, Edreina felt a natural sense of nervousness. He was, after all, a massive animal gifted with sharp hooves at the end of strong legs, teeth for biting and- Were all creatures of the Suvan not gifted with the same? Different, yes, but capable of the same damages, if not more? But Laviku's hand held both those creatures and Edreina... This creature of the earth... Edreina sighed, finding her hand sliding along the beast's muscular neck. He would not hurt her... At least not on purpose. "Jorven Jorven Jorven..." Her lips rolled over the foreign name, working out its pronunciation. At the sound of his name, the horse perked and bumped his nose against her cheek in a motion so unexpected that Edreina broke out in a grin. "I'll trust you... if you promise to trust me... Ok?" The animal's blue eyes seemed so oddly familiar to the Svefra, and she took comfort in that. The crunch of equestrian boots over gritty soil made Edreina aware of Serena's return; her quick, purposeful gait was different from that of the Drykas that had left chimes earlier. "Change of plans," she began, a mischievous smile upon her lips. "You will not be buying Jorven- The drop of the Svefra's heart was unexpected. "-I will be giving him to you..." Like the trough of a wave her heart leapt into a crest at these new words, fluttering in her throat. Deep within herself, the horsewoman smiled at the woman's reaction. This really was quite a pairing. "G- Giving him to me? Why?" In her excitement, the Svefra entirely forgot her manners... for a moment. "I mean thank you! Thank you so much!" Her boundless curiosity would not be sated. "But... why?" The woman smiled, redhead reminded her of a stablehand she had grown close with years earlier despite the fact that Edreina was likely an adult, despite the childlike look in her eyes. "It is your first horse and I don't think that Avalis could have seen a better match. You will give him the energy he so sorely needs and he might help you get over your fear." It was all true... enough. "Now... enough of this dawdling. I will go fetch your tack - you'll still have to pay for that - and we will start your lessons." "Uhm..." Serena paused, waiting to hear what Edreina had to say even as the Svefra worked over a way to say it without seeming ungrateful. "Viper - the Drykas that just left - offered to teach me... I accepted because I thought you might be too busy." The horsewoman's face darkened slightly, and she brought a hand to tap her chin thoughtfully. "I don't think that will work... He rides with a yvas, and I plan on teaching you how to ride with a saddle- Before the eager Svefra could interrupt... "It is better for someone who is not one with the horses. But!" The man had bought the horse after all. "He can teach you the basics of horse care. I have a few things to attend to but I will be overseeing your instruction personally." And, with that, the horsewoman turned and strode away, nodding to the Drykas with a small, knowing smile. As she left, she could not help but ponder the nature of their relationship. Was the Drykas but a man attempting to woo a pretty young lady? Or did he have too much money -Dammit! She should have told him more... Either way, she had made a decent profit. Edreina grinned sheepishly at Viper as he approached, Jorven's lead rope suddenly bearing so much more weight as Edreina realized that she owned a horse. She owned her very own horse... Before she could stop herself, she commenced bouncing and calling out - before he had even managed to make it over to the corral - "Serena gave me Jorven!" Joy was plain in her features, and even the horse's as he tossed his head, snorting and shaking from head to hoof at the unfamiliar exuberance of his new rider.

[Viper]

Viper sat back and watched her reaction to receiving the horse with much delight. Edreina's reaction actually elicited a small chuckle from him as he remembered doing near the same thing when he had befriended and obtained his very first strider. What with the bounding all about with barely contained excitement. It actually got him wondering about these beginning lessons he offered to teach her.

Having been brought up in the Drykas way all his life, regular saddles were not something he made use of, nor really cared for in general. Aeyan was pretty much his best friend. And Viper didn't like the idea of anything endangering his friend, should he not be there. Besides there were a myriad of other benefits of a yvas over a saddle. He wondered if it would be at all possible to convince Edreina to learn to ride a horse like any other member of the horse clans...like his own people. He'd have to learn more about the woman first, he finally decided. Depending on her own upbringing, a yvas might simply be to far beyond her comfort zone to try.

Viper gave a very slight, but appreciative nod back to Selena for her efforts in working with him. As the woman walked away, Edreina's excited shout out, caused him to finally laugh as he brandished a wide smile. Raising his eyebrows and feigning a surprised look, he said in a surprised manner, "Did she now? Well that was very generous of her! Man, I might have to hang around you more often. Perhaps your luck will rub off onto me a bit." He said jokingly with a chuckle as he closed the final distance between them.

He eventually cleared his throat and continued. "Well, now that you own this fine horse, perhaps we should get started with your lessons? Actually that did sort of have me thinking. Since you are a novice at riding, and this is your first horse. I was curious as to what style of riding you would like to pursue. I don't know if you noticed, but I actually make use of a different riding style than most Sylirans that you'll see walkin' about. As a Drykas, I very much prefer the use of a Yvas as apposed to the normal saddle and tack. A small smirk began to tug at the corner of his mouth. "Course then again, I may be a little biased." Viper chortled with a shrug.

"If you like, I can recommend a style for you if you're not sure. But I'll need to know a bit more about you first. Upbringing could play a big factor in what style of riding would be more suitable for you." He then points to himself and grins. "Case in point. Anyway, nothing to personal really. Just stuff like where you from, do you have any experience with other animals, things like that." Although he really wasn't trying to pry into the woman's affairs. He could admit to being a bit curious about her. She was obviously attractive. But, she had a fiery personality about her which he admired as well. And of course her association with the Myrian warrior was just another curiosity that fuelled his desire to learn more.

Had he really noticed all that, now that he thought about it? Huh. He pushed the thoughts away from his mind before he wondered about it anymore. She was another's after all. No sense even entertaining thoughts remotely close to that. Instead, he simply smiled his customary friendly grin, and awaited her response.