PM to join Riding Lessons: 64th of Winter

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Ser Ulliver looked Alex up and down, making him feel a tad more nervous than he truely should. The boy never liked it when people studied him. It always made him feel unconfident, as if he would be yelled at for something wrong at any given moment, which would not help at all in his learning proccess. It was bad enough that he could barely sleep at night with so many thoughts buzzing throughout his mind. Alex bit at the inside of his cheek, waiting impatiently for a break in the awkward silence. Finally, Ulliver nodded approvingly. "Good to see that you remembered your armor this time, lad." He said with a slight chuckle, remembering the last time Alex showed up to borrow a horse. He squinted at the fedora the boy wore, not disapprovingly, but definately not cheerful about it either. "Still wearing that blasted thing, eh?" Alex shrugged, feeling the need to straighten the hat so it rested more snuggly on his head. "It's just how I am." He said simply, but respectively. "Well, that fedora won't protect your noggin from a mace very well, now will it?" Ulliver replied, crossing his arms. Neither will a helm, ninety percent of the time. Alex wanted to say, but he bit his tongue and swallowed the smart-aleck retort out of respect. Instead, he settled on a half-hearted chuckle. "You say that as if I have any brains left to scatter." To Alex's surprise, Ulliver replied with another chuckle, seeming more cheerful than he had when Alex first arrived. "That's very true." He said, walking toward one of the barns and motioning for the boy to follow. "We have quite a few breeds, as I'm sure you already know this." He held open the door and gestured inside. "Go on, take a look." Alex walked into the barn, almost seeming cautious. He has been known for being alert in some situations, mainly the ones when he wasn't asleep or daydreaming. A few knights, including Ranqor, have told him that it was a good thing and that it would help majorly in his time in the Order.... That is, if he can learn to always be alert, rather than only being alert when he wants to. The first thing that hit him was the smell; a mixture of hay, oats, and waste danced around his nostrils, making it a bit difficult to breathe at first. Luckily, Serena and her stablehands keep it fairly clean and sanitary, so it wasn't too bad and Alex became used to it in a matter of seconds. He strolled through the barn, studying the many different breeds of horses in the stables lined up on either side of the barn. Huh...A Tiaden Warhorse might work, they're pretty cool. Oh! A Firemane! That might be useful... With all the different breeds, it was hard to decide which one he wanted to ride. There were a few other breeds which he didn't know the name of, and he resolved to ask Ulliver about them later. Suddenly, he felt his black fedora suddenly lifted off of his head. Alex instinctively grabbed for it, but missed. "Hey!" He snapped. He looked only to find that one of horses, who's stable he strayed a little too close to, had snatched his beloved hat and was holding it within it's teeth, smirking. He couldn't tell what breed the horse was, but he did note how it's coat seemed to shimmer beautifully. "Okay, come on. Give it back." He said, reaching for it. The horse simply ducked away, keeping well out of his reach. "Hey!" He repeated, reaching over the stall door. "Come on, that hat wasn't cheap... well, for my standards. That, and I have a busy day. I don't have time for this!" Of course, speaking to the animal didn't accomplish anything, other than making the horse smirk even more. Normally, this would have annoyed Alex to the point of shouting, but he didn't feel annoyed at that moment. Instead, he chuckled and continued to reach for his fedora in a more playful manner. The horse was more than happy to continue, it seemed. Often letting loose a small whinny. Once or twice, he could have sworn he heard a snicker or two. "He's a playful one, there." Ulliver said with a chuckle, walking up and petting the animal on the neck. "What breed is he?" The boy asked, rubbing the horse's muzzle. In return, the playful animal nuzzled him on the cheek. "Digby here's a Gildling. A breed that's known for pulling pranks and being overly playful, " Ulliver replied. "He seems pretty nice. Is it all right if I...?" Alex asked, petting Digby's shimmering mane. ["If you want to. I'm sure he'll go easy on you if you ask him nicely."[/b] Ulliver said, opening the stable door and leading Digby out, still holding Alex's black fedora in his teeth. "Um, Digby?" Alex asked with a grin. "May I please have my hat back?" With a snort, Digby dropped the black fedora into Alex's hands before licking his cheek, causing Alex to giggle childishly. Once they were in a more open area, Ulliver sighed. "All right, first thing's first: I'm going to teach you to properly saddle a horse..."

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross After leaving Alex alone with Digby for a few moments, he returned with a saddle pad, a girth, and a few other items. Setting them aside in a small pile, he picked out a fair-sized hand brush and handed it to the boy. "The first thing you want to do is groom your horse before you put anything on his back. Go ahead and brush him off a bit, make sure that you get any dirt, dust, or loose hair off of him." Accepting the brush, Alex set to work brushing off Digby's back and haunches. Surprisingly enough, he didn't find very much dirt or loose hair in the horse's coat. Even so, he kept brushing for a few moments, just to be sure. "All right, that's good enough." Ulliver said. He grabbed the brush from him and picked up the saddle pad, gently laying it across Digby's back. "Obviously, that's the next thing you do..." He said. He picked up the saddle. "Now, the next thing you want to do is place the right-hand stirrup of the saddle over the saddle horn and the girth over the seat of the saddle." He demonstrated, then handed the saddle to Alex. He nearly dropped it, surprised at it's weight, but he held his grip and gently laid the saddle on Digby's back. "Uh... lad." Ulliver said, trying to keep from chuckling. "That's on backwards. You want to make sure the saddle horn is on the withers." "Aaaaand I'm an idiot..." Alex said with a sigh, before turning it around and positioning it carefully. Ulliver chuckled and roughly patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, lad. I don't expect you to get it right every time just yet." He released the stirrup from the saddle horn and the pulled the girth down off the seat, and slung the girth under the horse's belly, just behind his front legs while explaining every motion. "All right, now feed the cinch strap through the ring of the girth, and then back up... Good! Good! Now, once more...Perfect! Pull the strap to the left of the upper ring, and then cross over to the right..." In no time, the cinch strap was finally secure. Of course, it was not done without a few mistakes, but Alex did enjoy the praise he received when he did something right... for once... [b]"All right, now that that's done, do you think you're ready to ride him?" "I... I think so..." Alex replied, and was met with another snicker from Digby. "Quiet, you."

[Claudia Blackwood]

64th of Winter 514 AV

Today was a sunny day. Well, as sunny as it got for a winter's day anyway. It was a good day to practice her horse riding skills. She had an appointment with Ser Ulliver of the Windmount Stables. Although he was primarily there to train squires into individuals fit of mounted combat, she had managed to secure an arrangement for him to teach her lessons. That, and she was fully intending on joining the order as a squire anyway. It was all just a matter of time.

Her mount was a mix blood. Butter was a combination of a Kavinka Painted Mount and a Tiaden Warhorse. It took on the appearance of a Pinto, mostly brown with white patches here and there, somewhat resembling a cow. The foot is where the resemblance to its Kavinka's parentage ended. There it took upon the Tiaden's side, giving it the appearance of the warhorse's hoofs. She spent several chimes petting and caressing him, while Butter gave her a nicker, greeting his rider.

Her father, Marcus was there as well. This would be the last time he would be here for her lesson. She then started to put on his bridle, unfastening his halter from the left side, before slipping the nose piece of the halter off, forgetting to tie it around his neck. The leather strips began to slip, and fall off, and Marcus gave her a slap on her shoulder as he chided her "You're going to need to remember to tie it around it's neck or it'll never stay on." Tying it up around his neck the right way this time, she brought his nose down, as she placed the reins over his neck securely fastening it. Once her father was satisfied that there were no twists in the leather, nor pieces near his eyes, she was finished. While she may not have much of an experience riding, she had been taught by her father the basics of bridling and saddling a horse, which she was rather proud of. Her father had grown busier during the coming periods, and her lessons had to be continued by Ser Ulliver.

Her mind was somewhere else, thinking of probably the riding lessons later on, the fun part, when a loud neigh broke her thoughts. It was then that she realised that she was trying to put on the saddle, with the saddle horn facing upside down. It must have obviously irritated Butter quite a fair bit, and she chuckled at such a foolish mistake she made. Marcus slapped her on the other shoulder this time "Wake up girl, you know this. Put it the right side up." Removing it and putting it on the right way this time, she placed her foot on the stirrup, and climbed aboard onto the saddle. With the basics of riding nailed down, using the reins, she led Butter onwards riding towards Windmount Stables.

When she reached Windmount Stables, she greeted Ser Ulliver who was teaching a young wiry looking lad with shaggy brown hair, wearing a black fedora. He had thin shadows of facial hair above his chin and upper lip, and a pair of reading glasses that rested on his face. She wondered if he was here to learn riding as well, maybe they could even go on a riding trip together she reckoned.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Without noticing the newcomer, Alex attempted to step up into the saddle. He had just put his foot in the left stirrup when Digby suddenly trotted forward, knocking the boy off balance. He landed on his back, then quickly stood up, dusting himself off. It was a good thing his armor broke most of the fall... "Hey! Digby!" He snapped, glaring at the horse while ignoring Ulliver's humored snicker behind him. Digby looked right back at him, smirked, and stuck his tongue out at the boy for a split second. Alex grinned and shook his head. It was impossible to stay mad. He patted the Gildling on the side of his neck, and tried mounting again. This time, Digby stayed put and allowed the boy to climb into the saddle. "Comfortable?" Ulliver asked, looking over the saddle and double-checking the girth. Alex shifted a few times, then grabbed the saddle horn in a tight, sweaty grip. "Eh, not really." He said, looking the saddle over. Digby glanced back at the boy and, for a second, he could have sworn that the horse winked at him. He swallowed nervously. Heh, picking on the new guy, eh? "Well, get used to it. Saddles are never comfortable, unless it's one of those expensive, padded ones... Which I don't have at the current moment." Ulliver replied, patting Digby's shoulder. It was then that Alex looked up and noticed the new girl mounted on a horse that seemed to be some type of mix, but the only breed he could make out was the Tiaden Warhorse half. Even though Alex had hoped to train alone today, the girl looked friendly enough. Maybe she could even help him out where Ulliver couldn't? He also noticed a man standing next to her, which he could only guess was some relative of hers. Alex grinned and held up a hand in greeting. "Hey there!" He said, trying to sound more cheerful than he usually was.

[Claudia Blackwood]

Shortly after noticing the young man with the black fedora, she saw him make a futile attempt to stay in his saddle, in which he quickly met the ground with a crash, caught unaware as the horse went on without him. The armour he was wearing clanked nosily as it hit the ground. She did not own a set of armour of her own yet, and so was dressed in a clean white cotton tunic, accompanied by a pair of brown pants, and brown riding shoes. She would be able to loan a set, once she was confirmed as a squire. Claudia watched as the guy dusted himself clean, before yelling at the Gildling. She could hear Ser Ulliver snickering behind him. It was as if the horse was playing a prank on him! What a fine horse he had chosen indeed.

Claudia couldn't help but end up in a fit of giggles, amused by the sight. It was then that her father bid her farewell, leaving her in the good hands of the Ser. Raising a palm to bid Ser Ulliver farewell, he began walking back in the direction of his smith. She wondered why he had picked a Gildling as his choice of horse, and if he was aware of the mischievous nature of the breed. He was definitely in for a prank-filled time.

Now with just the three of them left in the area, she sought to close the distance between them, urging Butter to trot towards them. As she got alongside him, she noticed that he had managed to stay up this time. He was holding on tightly to the saddle horn, determined to stay on top this time. She could hear Ser Ulliver instructing him about the comfort of saddles and how he should get used to him.

Jokingly, she remarked "Looks like, you managed to stay on this time!" before letting loose another round of giggles. Claudia then saw him staring at Butter, probably trying to figure out what breed he was. She was about to answer it for him, when he greeted her in a rather cheerful tone. Now that was refreshing. She had enough of doom and gloom now, it's time to bring on the cheeriness!

She replied him in an equally jovial manner, "Hi there!" before giving him a cheery wave. "Butter here is a mix breed. He is a mix of a Kavinka Painted Mount and a Tiaden Warhorse." She stretched out her hand for a handshake, introducing herself. "My name is Claudia, and what would yours be?"

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alex paid no mind that the girl was giggling at him. If anything, he had to chuckle himself. It was no doubt that little incident was more than a little amusing. Of course, being only his second time ever riding a horse, he couldn't be expected to be a complete professional... especially with a mischievous horse like Digby. Of course, Alexander knew it wasn't going to be very easy. But if he was going to become a knight, then he had to get used to having a mount. He didn't see his last mount in the barn, so he assumed that it has already been sold. Of course, Digby stood out among all of them. He was pretty grateful that the girl greeted him in the same cheerful manner. It was usually in his nature to greet people with a friendly and somewhat shy attitude, and for once, someone decided to be friendly right back! At the same time, he was also a bit surprised. Usually, if he greeted a stranger in a friendly way, the best he would get would be either a nasty look, or a roll of the eyes that would signal that the boy's presence was barely worth being acknowledged. Already, he had high respect for the new girl. Well, then... Alex thought. Time to be a little more social for once. He kept the friendly smile and accepted the handshake. "Claudia, huh? That's a nice name. I'm Alexander, Alexander Ross. If you want, you can just call me 'Alex' or 'Ross'. Whichever one you're more comfortable with." He studied her mount a little more, taking to note how he resembled the coloration of a cow. "A Tiaden Warhorse and a Kavinka Paintedmount? That's actually a good mix." The thought for a moment before asking: "Hey, maybe we could train together? I'm still not very familiar with the steering..."

[Claudia Blackwood]

The young man with the fedora introduced himself as Alexander Ross. She frowned, thinking that saying Alexander every time would be kind of a mouthful, but thankfully he shortened it himself by saying that she could call him Alex instead. Glad for that, she gave him a quick smile.

Claudia was actually overjoyed that Alex carried an air of infectious positive personality with him. She didn't tend to meet many of those around, usually get stuck with either the sour and dour type, or the really strict and serious ones, and both types were no fun at all. Nope. She hoped that this was a start of a great friendship, and it will continue to be a good one in the days down the road.

She was still quite amused with the fact that he chose a Gildling as his choice of mount. It spoke about his character, and that he had a funny side to him, and knew how to have fun when it was due. Claudia thought this was one that would get along well with hers. She flashed him a bright smile as she thought about that.

He then complimented her horse breed about being a good mix. Claudia casually caressed Butter's neck as she replied "Thank you for that. Butter here would be very pleased with that, won't you boy?" Butter gave a nicker in response, to which Claudia let out a chuckle. Alex then asked if they could train together. Her eyes brightened up a notch, saying "Sure! I would absolutely love too! I'm still pretty new to horse riding myself. I may have the basics down, but any more than that, and I'll be completely lost, just as you are."

Pointing in the direction towards the snowy fields surrounding the stables, she remarked "Let's ride over there, we can get some real practice done, riding." Ser Ulliver who was still standing close by said, "Just as well, have fun you two, holler if you need anything" And waggling a finger to Alex he said "And you, make sure you remain on the horse! It is key to learning how to ride!" before walking away, laughing to himself.

Alex then told her that he wasn't too familiar with the steering of the horse. Claudia enlightened him on that fact, telling him that the long strips of leather and rope hanging around near the saddle horn were called the reins. They were used to direct the horse during riding. They were usually attached to a bridle, which hung around the horse's face. Looks like the information that she had made the effort to remember was really paying off right now. Her father would be proud, knowing that she had memorised what he had taught her.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alex noticed the way Claudia's eyes brightened when he offered to train with her, and he couldn't help but grin a little. He was thankful that she was so willing to. It helped to train with someone closer to his own age rather than being yelled at by older knights. Usually, every day is a complete drag; wake up, get dressed, patrol the city, train, and lie down for another restless night in the squire dormitories. But today, it seemed like things were going to be a little different for once. Funny how being social for only a second can go a long way. "And you, make sure you remain on the horse! It is key to learning how to ride!" Ser Ulliver said to the boy. Alex rolled his eyes as the man walked away laughing, but he was unable to hide a grin himself. "I'll try to, but I can't make any promises!" He called back, shaking his head as he heard Ulliver laugh even harder. He listened intently as Claudia instructed him on what exactly to do. Of course, he knew what the names of the items were, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Nevertheless, he nodded in understanding as she explained, thankful that she was so willing to help him out. "All right, I think I've got it..." He said once she had finished explaining. With some effort, he directed Digby in the direction Claudia pointed out ealier. Once the horse started moving, Alex was jerked back in the saddle a bit, nearly falling off again. Thankfully, he managed to grab onto the saddle horn before he did. "Easy there, big guy." The boy said, patting the Gildling on the side of the neck. He looked at Claudia. "I think Digby's excited to get started." He said with a chuckle. Digby looked back and winked, obviously anticipating something. Of course, Alex didn't notice.

[Claudia Blackwood]

As Claudia and Alex were about to leave, Ser Ullliver hollered "Hold up you two! On second thought, I'll be joining you two instead. Who knows what antics you lot will be up to unsupervised." He then gave them a knowing smile. He was on a horse of his own, sitting atop a breed known as the Zavian.

Claudia thought that she could almost make out a sigh from Alex. He must have thought that he would be free to the clutches of the knight. But it wasn't all bad, at least they had guidance, and if anything she was still there to help him out if he needed.

He trotted past the two of them, beckoning them to follow with a wave of his hand, as he led them out to the fields surrounding the stables. Claudia took hold of her reins, and urged Butter forward, making sure that the reins did not touch the ground. She could hear the knight telling them that today's lesson would consist of the practice of both the walk and the trot.

Ser Ulliver then turned, looked around at them and said "Let's start with a walk. The walk is the steadiest gait because the horse always has at least one foot on the ground. Remember, it’s important to stay relaxed in the saddle, and move together with the horse. Now, let's try that. Sit up tall, both of you; keep your shoulders squared, with your heels down in the stirrups, and eyes focused ahead between the horse’s ears."

Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, he continued on. "This is a great position to be in when walking the horse, as it is comfortable for both the horse and the rider."

Claudia carried out the steps with ease, as this was something she had already done before and was comfortable with. She hoped that Alex was coping well, or she would have to return and help him out.

Sitting up tall, with her shoulders squared, and with both her heels in the stirrups, she motioned for Butter to walk forwards with a flick of the reins.

Ser Ulliver then moved onto the next step, not looking back to see if the pair were behind or not, trusting them to follow. "Now we will move on to a trot. Gently squeeze the sides of your horse with your legs. If he doesn't move, a slight kick will do. Sit tight, unless you want to meet the ground. Sit deeply, press those legs of yours down, and keep your back straight. Straight not stiff."

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alex did indeed let out a sigh when Ser Ulliver came trotting up on his own mount, announcing that he had decided to come along with them. He had hoped that he and Claudia would be able to train alone. He was getting tired of being unable to train with people around his age. But then again, Ulliver was a lot more patient with him than most people were, and it would be beneficial to both of them to have proper guidance, especially if something should go wrong. The boy did his best to follow the knight's instructions, and with a bit of difficulty, he was able to manage. Of course, staying relaxed was easier said than done, considering that Alex was always so tense. Nevertheless, he was able to pull it off, although he still had a hard time staying relaxed. Holding the reigns in a tight grip, he gently squeezed Digby's sides with his legs, signaling the horse to move. Alex wasn't surprised when Digby refused to even budge. Following Ulliver's advice, he gave the Gildling a slight nudge with his heel. Still, Digby stayed fixed where he was. This worried him. "Hey, you okay there buddy?" He said, patting Digby on the side of the neck. It was then that Digby glanced back at him and winked again, before taking off in a dead sprint. Alex yelped as he was thrown back in the saddle. "Whoa! Digby!" He yelled as they zoomed past Ulliver and Claudia. Before he knew it, they were on the streets of Syliras. The streets were buzzing about with citizens going about their regular business, only to be interrupted by a runaway horse racing past them. "Move! Get out of the way!" He warned to the crowd ahead. Without realizing it, he clinged tightly to the horse's neck for dear life. "HEEEEEELP!" He shouted, squeezing his eyes shut and burying his face into the side of Digby's neck.