513 AV, 7th Day of Winter
Alasdair hadn't been to the Windmount Stables in a long time. It had been years since he approached one of the barns or even set foot on the grounds. But that was because it had also been about a decade since he'd owned a horse. There was no reason to loiter around when he hadn't anything to stable on the property. Today though, he wanted a change of schedule. An uncertain part of him was wanting to look into buying another horse after all this time, though he didn't necessarily need one. They were convenient animals and he enjoyed being around them. The smell of horse flesh also reminded him of his mother - a Drykas who'd moved to Syliras to be with his father. She'd brought her dearest companion along; a bonded Strider. It had been a magnificent animal that left a lasting impression.
As he approached the big barn that housed the mares and their fouls, a few heads jutted out and nickered greetings to him. Perhaps they thought they would be getting some delectables of some kind. Alasdair paused by a bay mare's stall and peered inside. A little gray colt lingered close to her side, watching him with big baby eyes bordered by long, thick eyelashes. The mare approached the stall's door and stretched her nose out to sniff him. He held up a hand and let her give a thorough examination before touching the soft skin of her nose. Her nostrils flared with heavy breaths as she drug in his scent then expelled the air in a loud puff.
Further down the row of stalls a young palamino filly vied for some attention with a few loud whinnies. He patted her cheek and scratched her forehead, moving up toward one ear and massaging it between his thumb and forefinger. Rumeer had always loved that, but it seemed this youngster wasn't too keen about it. She pulled the ear from his grasp and flicked it experimentally, as if he'd ruined it or ripped it off. Alasdair grunted and smiled, once again moving down the line. He stopped to watch a slightly older sorrel with a brown filly nursing enthusiastically under her broad belly. The mare had her head buried in a manger full of hay and was chewing contently. Out of all the mares he'd just looked at, this one reminded him of his, aside from its four white socks. Rumeer had only had two; one on the right front and another on her opposite hind.
He folded his arms and leaned the elbows on the edge of the stall's locked door, watching the little filly's tail flick and swish erratically as it enjoyed the meal from its mother. They both must have shared a passion for eating, because neither of them even batted an ear in his direction. Was he really ready to buy another horse. Alasdair frowned at the mare and foul, imagining the expenses that would go along with just a single one of them, as well as the extra care he would have to take keeping a horse safe outside the city walls. It was no simple task, and he'd had some close calls with Rumeer when she was alive. Maybe this isn't the best time, he argued to himself.
He went back and forth in his head, alternating between convinced and unconvinced, before he finally decided on a no. Alasdair stood and turned away from the stall, unbuttoning his coat as he made his back down the line and past all the curious big eyes watching him go. Perhaps later, but not today, tomorrow, nor anytime in the immediate future.
Alasdair hadn't been to the Windmount Stables in a long time. It had been years since he approached one of the barns or even set foot on the grounds. But that was because it had also been about a decade since he'd owned a horse. There was no reason to loiter around when he hadn't anything to stable on the property. Today though, he wanted a change of schedule. An uncertain part of him was wanting to look into buying another horse after all this time, though he didn't necessarily need one. They were convenient animals and he enjoyed being around them. The smell of horse flesh also reminded him of his mother - a Drykas who'd moved to Syliras to be with his father. She'd brought her dearest companion along; a bonded Strider. It had been a magnificent animal that left a lasting impression.
As he approached the big barn that housed the mares and their fouls, a few heads jutted out and nickered greetings to him. Perhaps they thought they would be getting some delectables of some kind. Alasdair paused by a bay mare's stall and peered inside. A little gray colt lingered close to her side, watching him with big baby eyes bordered by long, thick eyelashes. The mare approached the stall's door and stretched her nose out to sniff him. He held up a hand and let her give a thorough examination before touching the soft skin of her nose. Her nostrils flared with heavy breaths as she drug in his scent then expelled the air in a loud puff.
Further down the row of stalls a young palamino filly vied for some attention with a few loud whinnies. He patted her cheek and scratched her forehead, moving up toward one ear and massaging it between his thumb and forefinger. Rumeer had always loved that, but it seemed this youngster wasn't too keen about it. She pulled the ear from his grasp and flicked it experimentally, as if he'd ruined it or ripped it off. Alasdair grunted and smiled, once again moving down the line. He stopped to watch a slightly older sorrel with a brown filly nursing enthusiastically under her broad belly. The mare had her head buried in a manger full of hay and was chewing contently. Out of all the mares he'd just looked at, this one reminded him of his, aside from its four white socks. Rumeer had only had two; one on the right front and another on her opposite hind.
He folded his arms and leaned the elbows on the edge of the stall's locked door, watching the little filly's tail flick and swish erratically as it enjoyed the meal from its mother. They both must have shared a passion for eating, because neither of them even batted an ear in his direction. Was he really ready to buy another horse. Alasdair frowned at the mare and foul, imagining the expenses that would go along with just a single one of them, as well as the extra care he would have to take keeping a horse safe outside the city walls. It was no simple task, and he'd had some close calls with Rumeer when she was alive. Maybe this isn't the best time, he argued to himself.
He went back and forth in his head, alternating between convinced and unconvinced, before he finally decided on a no. Alasdair stood and turned away from the stall, unbuttoning his coat as he made his back down the line and past all the curious big eyes watching him go. Perhaps later, but not today, tomorrow, nor anytime in the immediate future.
