Closed Riding Lessons (Naiya)

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei watched Naiya approach Wildfire with a confidence that she longed to have. Thunder deserved someone who had that kind of confidence around striders. The idea of giving carrot greens to a strider or a horse as a treat simply hadn't occurred to her, and she said as much. Carrots, yes, but the greens? Then again, carrot greens were kind of grass like, and horses and striders ate grass, so maybe it wasn't so surprising after all.

When Naiya told her to use sign to ask Wildfire to move back, and give her some space, she gave the other woman a startled look.

"Are striders as intelligent as people are?" she asked.

Then her eyes widened, and filled with alarm.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean...please don't take offense. It's just that...I didn't know. I knew they were smarter than other types of horses are. But I didn't know how much smarter they were. Lian never let me go near his strider...I think he thought that I might try to hurt her, or contaminate her or something, since I was his captive. I wouldn't have..."

Would never hurt a horse or strider

"And she seemed to be content to ignore my presence in his camp. So I never really learned just how different a strider was. I...I've felt things through my bond with Thunder, but he's still a foal. His needs are simple ones. And so are his feelings. I'm sorry..."

Deep apologies

Her father hadn't told her any different when she'd visited him as a child, either. He'd always called the caravan's horses silly, and stupid beasts. And he'd always told her that striders were better than any other horses in the world. But he had never really explained why.

Seirei wasn't sure why she was getting so worked up over her mistake. She knew that striders were very important to the Drykas...to her people. Would Naiya take offense at her ignorance? Get angry, even? Seirei's emotions were all over the place, and it suddenly seemed to her that if Naiya got angry over her stupidity, it would be the worst thing that could happen.

To give herself some time to calm down, she did as Naiya had asked her, signing an uncertain give me time to Wildfire. She trusted Naiya that Wildfire would understand. Fortunately, it didn't take long for her to regain control over herself.

"I'm sorry." she apologized again.

"I really don't know why I get so worked up over things like this sometimes..."

During her first pregnancy, Waisana had told her that mood swings were common during a pregnancy. But to get so upset over something like this? Over a misunderstanding? This was ridiculous. She knew Naiya well enough now to know that she wasn't going to get angry and throw her out of the pavilion over a simple misunderstanding.

The emotional outburst did have one good thing about it. It had made Seirei forget her nervousness about being around Wildfire. When she was feeling calmer, and more sure of herself, Seirei signed a simple Come here, please. Treats for you. Then she held out the carrot greens as an offering. If he took them, and seemed willing, she would stroke his neck gently.

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[Naiya]

Naiya couldn't help the amusement that formed across her shoulders as the girl spoke, her surprised question turning into a full on parade of concerned explanation. She watched with understanding silence as Seirei worked her way though her own upset, and allowed her to find the peace of mind she needed.

"Striders are as intelligent as humans, perhaps more so because of their connection to the web and their ancestral memory." She paused, not offended, reassurance, "Striders are the spirits of the Drykas before us, those who have died and become one with the web. They choose a person who they think is worthy, one that then becomes a Drykas because of the honor of being chosen by the ancestor spirit."

She paused, finding it odd and slightly difficult to explain something that was so known. Even though she knew these things, she couldn't find the words to explain them.

"I find it difficult to explain beyond that." She said with a shrug, "All striders are intelligent, more so when interacting with their chosen Drykas."

Wildfire had moved off, only a bit, wait didn't mean to leave, and he was still hopeful for his treats. He watched the two women closely, waiting, and when Seirei bade him to come, he did.

He breathed out a gentle sound, his lips fluttering as he reached out for the greens. He pulled the full bundle from the girl, not unkindly, and tossed his head in a happy bob.

Seirei's raised hand moved to his neck, stroking him gently and he leaned into her as he chewed. Naiya grinned from her black a bit back from them both, her sweet boy was happily soaking up the attention and it gave Seirei a much better experience to base her future interactions off of.

"What do you think?" She asked, comfortable, more time? Need help?

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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei listened to what Naiya told her about striders with rapt fascination. This was all completely new to her, and she was happy to learn anything that she could about Thunder, and the bond that they shared. It relieved her to know that striders bonded to those that they found worthy. It meant that Thunder, as young as he was, had seen something in her that was worth something to her new people. Worth more than the children she could be forced to give them as a captive. And that thought was a reassuring one. She couldn't help but wonder if she would be reborn as a strider too, when she died. It was a fascinating thought. And a reassuring one as well. But Naiya's words brought up as many questions as they had given her answers.

"What web are they connected to?" Seirei asked curiously.

She had heard mentions of a web several times since she had been freed. It was enough to make her think that this web...whatever it was, was something that was important. Perhaps very important. But she had been afraid to ask until now, fearing to betray her ignorance of yet one more thing that was important to the Drykas, and perhaps convincing people that she was nothing more than the worthless burden that she feared she was.

"I think you explained it very well. You've taught me a lot. Thank you." she said when Naiya told her that she didn't really know how to explain it better than that.

Wildfire seemed to enjoy the treats that she offered him. He also seemed to truly enjoy being patted. Seirei wasn't sure which he enjoyed more, but she was happy that he seemed to like her. He was a beautiful stallion, and his reactions to her attentions both encouraged her, and delighted her.

"I think he's a beautiful, wonderful stallion. I wish Kairi was as nice as he is." she replied. very comfortable. ready now. help needed. how to start? will he mind?

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[Naiya]

What.... web, her hands echoed with painstaking slowness. Shocked., distant anger rolled over her posture, and Naiya had to rub her hands over her face to remind herself that Seirei would be hurt if she thought her question was what had upset her.

Upset, not at you, She signed to her companion, a moment, wait please. She turned reminding herself to breathe deeply while she considered how to explain the web to her friend. She used the time to let her anger at the Windrunner man dispel.

It took only chimes to formulate her words, and the rest of her anger could be chased away when they rode. She turned back to Seirei with an apology, it was hard for Naiya to be reminded of how poorly her friend had been treated.

"The webbing," Naiya began, "Is a Drykas magic, similar to binding ropes, or the silken threads of a spider's web. It lays in the belly of semele, sitting and waiting, reaching across the entire sea. A person who uses this magic is called a webber, they can visit the web and view everything the web touches." She tired to lay the words out in a way that would make sense, but again she had found that explaining something every Drykas knew was proving harder than she thought.

"There are smaller webs too, branching from the main one are family webs, these are maintained by the ankal as a way to keep track of their family and their belongings. The spirit of each Drykas is tied to the web, specifically to their family web, and that's why when a Drykas dies, their spirit remains to look over their family and will eventually return as a Drykas, or return as a Strider."

She gestured again that this was a difficult thing to explain. She waited until she was sure that she had successfully answered the woman's curiosity before asking a question of her own. "Did Lian ever tie you to the web? There would have been a moment of him sort of falling away, his body slumping? Or maybe another webber came?" Less important, can be checked she signed after her inquiry, hoping to reassure the woman should she not know.

Naiya was pleased by the praise of her horse and grateful for the woman's words. It brought a satisfaction to her that she imagined most Drykas felt when their Strider was complimented.

"He won't mind, in fact, what we do next is something he quite enjoys." She lifted the grooming kit, bringing it closer to both the woman and the stallion. She watched for the moment Wildfire noticed the kit, his head turning to look at her with what she was sure was glee, and she grinned.

"Before you ride a horse, you have to groom them, there are shortcuts if you're in a hurry, but you should learn the right way to do it first." Naiya explained. "Have you groomed a horse before?" She asked kindly, trying to gauge how to best help the woman.
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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Naiya was upset by her question. Seirei instantly felt guilty. She shouldn't have asked. She had no right to. She was about to apologize, when Naiya explained that she wasn't upset about her question. It was something else. Naiya began explaining what the Web was, and Seirei was fascinated by what she was hearing. She listened with intent interest, wanting to learn everything she could. If the Drykas were all linked to the Web, could they communicate with each other that way? Find each other if they needed to? Could parents use the Web to find a missing child, perhaps? Seirei wanted to learn more.

When Naiya asked if Lian had linked her to the Web, Seirei thought hard about it. She didn't remember him ever slumping in her presence. He always held himself alert around her. Tense, even. And she said as much.

"But he did watch me when I slept a lot. At least, I often woke up to find him staring at me. Could he have linked me into the Web while I was asleep?"

If not, Seirei wanted to be linked into the Web as soon as possible. She loved the idea of being part of the Web. Before she could say as much, the conversation turned back to Wildfire. Nayia seemed pleased that she had complimented him. Seirei thought she would feel the same way if someone had complimented Thunder.

Seirei watched as Naiya got what looked like a collection of different kinds of brushes. Wildfire seemed to get excited when he saw it, so Seirei guessed that the brushes were meant to be used on horses. Her guess was confirmed when Naiya asked if she had ever groomed a horse before. She shook her head, but indicated desire to learn.

"I wouldn't even know where to start. I never really tried to learn with Kairi, because I was afraid she'd get mad if I did. And Thunder's so little...I was afraid I'd hurt him by accident."

Seirei turned to Nayia eagerly.

"Can you show me both ways to groom a strider? The right way, and what short cuts you can take when you need to? Do you groom a zibri the same way you groom a strider? If so, then once I learn how, I can help out more." she said with an eager smile.

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[Naiya]

Naiya shrugged, unsure about the answer to her question. She signed again for Wildfire to wait as he edged closer in his excitement.

"I don't know how to access the web, but I'll see who can do that for us. We'll have you tied to the family web... unless you would prefer to be tied to the city? It won't make a difference to your days." She stated without favor to either option. "Either way, we should see to that soon."

She noted her interest in learning both the correct way and the shortcuts that could be taken, gesturing that they should begin. Naiya found herself approaching Wildfire once more, she gave him an affectionate pat on the cheek. She tried to be sure to say aloud all the things she did, that way Seirei wouldn't miss anything.

"When you move near a horse, it is best to keep an hand in contact with them so they know where you are, even if they can't see you. You won't startle them, and a friendly horse won't try and kick you." Her own hand trailed from Wildfire's cheek to his neck as she moved. "The first thing you should do when you groom is look for injuries. Scratches, cuts, swelling." She continued, doing her own checking, although unless it had happened since that morning, she was fairly sure he was fine.

She waited for Seirei to approach, letting her work her way through the check up at her own pace. Letting her get comfortably back into the mindset of dealing with a horse, even a friendly one. There was still much to remember, approaching, not to stare too hard, so she let the woman work through it.

Naiya plucked grass from Wildfire's tail as she circled behind him, a gentle hand on his rear to let him know she was passing behind him. "You'll want to look for ticks too, they will make large swelling where they bite."

Once Seirei was ready, Naiya pulled a curry comb from the bucket, followed closely by the rough stone that served the same purpose. "These are for currying, helping to loosen dirt and hair from the skin. You have to watch the horse closely to be sure you aren't pressing too hard." She explained offering the brush to the woman. It was wooden with small rounded cones instead of bristles. "Curry in circles," Naiya continued, showing her with the stone as she worked gently on Wildfire's upper neck, "If his skin shudders or twitches, you're probably pressing too hard."
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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei didn't even have to give the question a single tick's thought.

"The family web." she said firmly.

Her loyalty was to the Dawnwhispers. They had been the ones to take her in, and protect her. They had given her a home, and a family, when Seirei thought that she would never have either again. She liked Endrykas more now that she was accepted as a Drykas. But it was an acceptance that she didn't fully understand, or trust. Her love, and loyalty were for the Dawnwhispers, and it always would be.

Seirei paid close attention to what her friend was teaching her. Keeping one hand in contact with a horse when you were moving around them so they'd know where you were made a lot of sense to her. Especially when combined with the knowledge that horses and striders were often afraid of strange humans despite their size. If they were nervous about a person, knowing where they were at all times would help them keep an eye on them. And that might make them feel less nervous.

She began examining Wildfire intently once Naiya told her what to look for. Scratches, cuts, and swellings were all easy enough to look for. Seirei moved slowly, not wanting to miss seeing anything out of haste. Every once in a while, she glanced at her friend to see if she was doing it wrong. She didn't find any injuries, and after checking three times to be certain, she said as much.

"If I had found a tick, how would I remove it? And what would you do for a scratch, cut, or swollen area?" she asked.

It wouldn't do to find an injury, and not be able to treat it when she needed to. When Nayia offered her a brush, she took it, and thanked her. The brush had small rounded cones instead of bristles, and Seirei asked her adopted sister why that was so. She also asked what the rough stone Naiya kept was used for. When learning it was used for the same thing as the brush, she asked which one was better, and why.

Seirei watched Naiya work for a few chimes, before starting herself. As directed, she used circular motions as she groomed the strider. She wasn't sure how much pressure she should use. It seemed to her that if she didn't use enough, Wildfire wouldn't be clean afterwards. But she didn't want to hurt him by using too much pressure, either. She'd feel horrible if she accidentally injured him.

Wildfire's skin seemed to shudder under her ministrations a couple of times. When it happened a third time, Seirei was about to ask what was causing it. But before she could, Naiya explained that he would twitch or shudder if she pressed too hard. Seirei lightened the pressure she was using immediately. Using this as a guide, she slowly but surely got an idea of how much pressure was comfortable for Wildfire as she was grooming him. The strider seemed to enjoy being groomed, and Seirei found that she enjoyed grooming him in return. It seemed to her that it would be a good bonding experience for strider, and rider.

"What next?" she asked with an eager smile when they had finished brushing Wildfire.

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[Naiya]

"Ticks are tricky," Naiya explained, "They are tiny, and they have two segments, two pieces, you have to find the head where it bites and pull him out. If you pull the body and leave the head, they can still make the horse sick." She tiptoed against Wildfire, peeking at the girl's work as she spoke. Wildfire shifted, but accomidated his Drykas.

"Injury is more difficult, small scratches and cuts happen often and just have to be monitored for infection, but big ones have to see the healers. Not to mention that even a small scratch under the yvas or pad would be a problem for riding." She moved to Wildfire's shoulder, careful to keep her pressure light with the rough stone as she curried the dirt loose from his skin. "Swelling needs a cool compress, often you make a poltice of herbs..." She paused to recall the names, "Sometimes a plant, plantain, which is good for pain in bones and others I can't quite recall." Little importance, can be worked on later. It may be best to get a book so she could keep all these things written down for the woman. Her common wasn't good by any stretch of the imagination, but she could likely get the other woman to help her, too.

"The cones," Naiay began to explain, "Are more solid than bristles, as are the pockets in the stone, they help break dirt free from his skin and hair, The circular motion makes sure you don't press the dirt back down." Neither really better, different "The stone is more rough, so you have to go slower, but it can make the coat more shiny, it is good for days of celebraton or for before taking horses to be sold, the cones are easier to use, less likely to scratch the skin, but not as shiny afterwards. Don't use this on his legs though, except on the callouses sometimes."

She finished before Seirei, but she was in no hurry, so she moved to Wildfire's mane, pulling loose grass and leaves from the tangled white locks. She had more shpping to do, perhaps for the balm to help untangle the hair. She could use it on both the horses, and the zibri. For now she pulled her comb and worked slowly though the tangles while she waited for Seirei to finish. When she had done so, Naiya grinned almost ruefully,

"More brushing." She handed the woman the stiff bristled brush taking up one of her own. "These are firm, so careful again on the pressure, short strokes that fly up into the air. That way you brush all the loose dirt away. These ones can go on his legs too to brush away the dirt, but don't do his face." She showed the woman what she meant, taking her brush and sweeping it in a quick short stroke that flicked up into the air.

"After this, we do one more, soft bristled brushes to smooth his hair back down and brush the dirt away from his face." She explained as she worked down her side. She let the woman work, handing her the proper brush when she was ready for it and allowing her to groom Wildfire's face, showing her with a gentle hand over her own who to brush out the contours of his head.

"Finally, we just have to check his feet for stones and clean out the dirt." She showed Seirei the curved metal pick, but had more teaching to do before she let the woman try. "Wildfire is fairly well trained, so to get under his hoof, you just slide your hand down the back of his leg." She walked towards him, sliding a hand along his side as soon as she could reach him, then lowering it to reach down his leg.

He lifted his foot for her, but shifted his weight forward onto her aw well, a rotten trick that made her stumble. Doing her best not to drop his hoof, she gave him a firm smack and stepped back.

Jerk"Wal." She chided, shaping the word with the addition of a gentle admonishment. "A mean trick," She explained to Seirei, "He leaned his weight onto his missing hoof so I was helping him stand." She shrugged, showing the woman that she wasn't concerned, "Ohs tratche."

She went back to the stallion who lifted his hoof back up with out being asked, his body shaped in teasing and humor. He was practically laughing at her. She couldn't help her own grin, but hid it from the horse, no sense encouraging him. "See here," She gestured Seirei over showing her a fairly clean hoof, "This is good, not a lot of mud or rocks, and you can see the frog, the triangle in the middle. If you scratch this, he'll feel it, so be careful or use the brush if it's dirty, then follow the grooves around it to remove the dirt." She showed the woman, and handed her the pick to try on the next hoof.

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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

There was so much to learn. Seirei was amazed by it all even as she tried to keep it straight in her head. Ticks were tiny, and could be missed easily if one wasn't careful. When removing them, it was important to make sure to get the head too, because if it was left behind, the strider could still get sick. Small scratches could be left alone as long as you kept an eye on them, but larger ones could not. A healer was needed to help with those. And if there was a small scratch in an area that would be covered by the yvas, the strider couldn't be ridden. That made sense since the yvas would rub against the scratch, making it worse. Swellings needed a cool compress, and a poltice. Plantain could be used to make the poltice since it was good for pain in bones. When Seirei was certain that she had all of the information straight in her mind, she found she had another question.

"Can plantains be used for people too, or are they only good for use on animals?" she asked curiously.

Then she grinned ruefully, and signed a quick, but sincere apology followed by like a wuepa, needs to know everything.

Seirei had thought they were finished grooming Wildfire, but it soon became obvious that they were not. There were three sets of brushes used in grooming a strider, not the one she had assumed. The first, the stone and the cone bristled brush they had just finished using could be used for the body, but not the legs, or face. And the stone one could make a strider's coat more...but ran the risk of scratching him if too much pressure was used by mistake. The second brush had stiff bristles, and could be used on the legs, but not the face. Finally the third, a soft bristled brush was to be used on the face. It was also used to smooth the hair back down after grooming the rest of the strider. Then there was a comb for use on the mane and tail.

Each time Naiya brought out a new brush, Seirei paid close attention to the demonstration of how to use it properly. The flick at the end of each stroke with the stiff bristled brush took some time for Seirei to get the hang of, but after a while, she managed to do it properly more often than not. Likewise, it took her a few chimes to figure how much pressure she should use with the brush.

When it came time to check Wildfire's hooves, Seirei examined the pick closely, but made no move to touch it. She was more than a little afraid that she would hurt Wildfire with it. Naiya stumbled when Wildfire lifted his foot. Seirei started, moving to help her friend if it was needed, but it turned out not to be. She didn't understand what had happened until Naiya explained it; Wildfire had leaned his weight onto his missing hoof when he lifted it. A trick that forced Naiya to help him stand, which in turn made her stumble under the weight.

"Kairi plays tricks, too." Seirei offered softly.

"When I used to try to ride her, she would take a deep breath when I was putting her yvas on. If I didn't notice, and convince her to let it out, the yvas would be too loose when I tried to ride her. I fell off more than a few times because of that trick."

Naiya's demonstration helped to ease her worries about hurting the strider. Wildfire didn't seem to mind what Naiya was doing, so it couldn't be painful. Seirei watched intently, trying to memorize what she was seeing. Even so, when her turn came, she couldn't help but worry. A mistake could well be very painful for Wildfire, and Seirei was terrified of making a mistake that would cause him injury.

Seirei started by sliding her hand gently down Wildfire's side, and leg. If he obliged by picking up his hoof, she would hold it the way she had seen Naiya do. She hesitated for a few ticks longer, then looked at the hoof she was holding. Like the first, this one was fairly clean. But there were a couple of small stones lodged in the hoof, as well as a bit of dirt.

It took her a few chimes to get the hang of what she was doing, but she found that by angling the point of the pick away from the frog, she was less likely to hit it by mistake. Working from the heel towards the toe seemed to help, too. At first, she barely touched the hoof with the pick, but as she worked, she got a feel of what needed to be done. When she was finished, she set Wildfire's hoof down gently.

"Which brush should I use to clean a strider's frog? The soft bristled one you use for their face?"

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[Naiya]

"Plantain can be used for people." Reassurance, "It is good to know." She grinned at her story, it was a familiar horse trick. She signed again ohs tratche, it was not a strange occurrence.

"The stiff brush works, some picks have one on the back of the metal, but it isn't usually important. Only when there is a lot of mud, because you don't want it to stay stuck." She explained. "They aren't so fragile, you just don't want to try and dig it out." She teased.

She pulled the first yvas, holding it up for the other girl. Ready? she inquired, gently excited. "The pad goes first, start very high," She showed the other, placing the pad high over the shoulders and neck, "Then pull it backwards until it's in the right spot. It keeps you from flattening his hair in the wrong direction." She lifted the yvas up, and Wildfire tossed his head, requiring only gentle coaxing to lower his head enough to slip the yvas into place. "This is fairly easy," Naiya said, as she straightened loops and clasps. "The metal handles go over his head, and the soft fabric goes behind his legs." She stretched the soft material of the yvas to show where it gripped around his chest. "This way, if something happens, they can get the yvas off on their own with just a little work."

She gestured the woman closer, showing her how to tighten the straps and secure it all in place. "I'm sure you've done this part before," She said with a smile. "You can tell when they are holding their breath, just watch for their chest to stop expanding regularly. Wildfire doesn't play around much, he enjoys riding together too much, but he used to do it, and I'd just give him a little tap in the gut with my knee." She mimed the motion, showing her. "You loosen their breath and tighten the strap while they are breathing out. Some people say that's not the proper way to do it, but it works for me."

"Next you mount. If you can't jump high enough, you can always find a hill or a stone to give you a boost." Naiya gestured that she would give the woman a boost. "Grip the yvas in one hand, and put the other wherever feels right to you, you'll pull the yvas and push with your other hand." She took hold of the yvas, and pressed her own hand high on his shoulder. "Give a little jump, and swing your leg over." With a hop she swung herself up into the saddle. "Swing your leg back over, and slide down with both feet toward the ground." She showed her again, dismounting quickly.

"Your turn," She grinned, kneeling down and offering her hands as a step to help her push up into place.


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