Completed Learning the Ropes

[Solemn Warborn]

Summer, the 6th, 516 AV Learning the Ropes Horses. Solemn hated them. Hate was maybe too strong of a word. The big beasts scared him some, so he had a healthy respect for them. A healthy enough respect that he had avoided working in their stalls as much as he could for the last couple of years. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t work hard; he just made sure he worked hard elsewhere. Lusina Frostfawn, his employer and the head of the White Elk Stables, had noticed, as all good employers do, and had set a plan in motion to remedy that fact. She had recruited another stable hand to teach Solemn today, and so Solemn found himself in close quarters with horses all day long. The day wasn’t all bad though. He was in the company of a particularly gorgeous young Frostfawn, but for the life of him, Solemn couldn’t remember her name. He had missed it. He had been distracted by… other things. Winter’s breath was sharp in the summer air. It was always cold in Avanthal, and some could ignore the cold due to constant exposure to it, especially if they were Morwen-marked as this Vantha was. Solemn was not and always remained warmly dressed. Here, in the Stables where there were protection from the wind and plenty of animals generating their own warmth, it was too warm for most, and the Frostfawn was no exception. As soon as she was in out of the cold, she was in her base layer. It was a mostly modest attire, but there was a particularly enticing stripe of skin at her midriff that kept drawing Solemn’s eyes. Taking Solemn to the tack room, she selected a halter for a large-sized horse and a lead rope for it, then had Solemn do the same. “Choose one for a smaller horse, Solemn,” she directed him, pointing to a smaller mare nearby. So she remembered his name. He kicked himself mentally for being too distracted to catch hers. She went on. “If you’re working with the Frostmarches or the sleigh horses, you’ll need the larghest tack we have, but for the smaller horses you’ll have to gauge what is needed. That one’s too small.” Solemn fixed his mistake quickly and without being insulted. She was here to teach him, and her correction had been gentle. Here, she was the one with all the knowledge and skill, and now was the time for Solemn to learn how to deal with these creatures. When she gestured for him to follow, he did so willingly and soon found himself standing outside the stall of a towering Avanthalian sleigh horse. The scent of hay was thick in the air. Other stable hands must have just come through to do the morning feedings. The horse in question was chewing a mouthful of hay absently until the young woman stepped into the stall. Raising its head and looking toward the woman, the horse flicked its ears in her direction. “Always watch their ears.” Solemn’s mentor pointed toward the top of the big creature’s head. “Right now, her ears are up and pointed in our direction. She’s curious. We’ve sparked her attention. They can tell you a lot with their ears. If they’re drooping, it could be a sign they aren’t feeling well. If they’re pinned back, don’t go in their stall; it means they’re pissed.” Solemn laughed nervously. “Thanks. That’s definitely not a mistake I’d want to make.” She laughed at him. “They’re really not that scary, Solemn. Granted, they can kill you.” “And that doesn’t make them scary?” Her laughter off the wooden panels of the stall seemed to warm the area. “What I was going to say was they can kill you, but if you let them, they can also be the most compassionate creatures you will ever encounter.” That was a point Solemn didn’t agree with. He had spent most of his adult life around dogs and found their love and dedication overwhelming, but he didn’t say anything. He was sure everyone felt this way about whatever species they knew best. There was something about spending time with a creature that grew one’s fondness for them. He knew there were plenty who felt this way about dogs and horses and was sure there were even some who thought the same about cats, though he was certain those were much fewer. Besides, he didn’t want to do anything to insult her. “Come in. Watch how we put on a harness. Remember to approach strange horses slowly and, if you can, let them come to you. Be sure to talk to them while you do.” Stepping into the stall, he made his way to the Frostfawn’s side, all the while chatting nonsense to the horse. “Who’s a good girl? Who is? You are. You’re a good girl.” His mentor cut him off with her laughter, a sound the horse didn’t shy from. “She’s not a dog. She’s smarter than that.” “What do you mean? Dogs are brilliant.” She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Dogs are easily trained. There’s a difference.” Solemn didn’t like his animal of preference being insulted and quickly countered, “They’re easily trained, because they’re brilliant.” She saw that she had struck a nerve and shrugged noncommittally. “I suppose that could be true. They are descended from the wolf, you know? And the wolf is the keenest of all predators.” When Solemn didn’t push the argument any further, she went on. “Here’s how we put on a halter.” She stepped under the left side of the creature’s neck, facing in the same direction as the creature was, and, reaching under the horse’s neck, set her right hand on the side of its face. It responded by dipping its head downward. Deftly, as if she was doing something as simple as putting on a coat, she slid the halter over the horse’s nose, wrapped one strap over behind the creature’s ears, slid it through the buckle, and cinched it closed. She looked at him and smiled. “See? It’s easy. You give it a try.”

[Solemn Warborn]

She untied the halter, pulled it off the horse’s head, and handed it to Solemn, standing back to give him room to work. Eyeing the big horse warily, Solemn took a slow step toward it, talking softly to the creature to keep her calm as he did. Her ears pricked forward, and she dropped her muzzle toward him. Taking this as a good sign, Solemn stepped even closer. As he did, the horse reached out and bit his chest. “Gah!” Solemn jumped back, rubbing the wounded skin through the thick material of his parka to try to lessen the sting. The Frostfawn gasped. “Millie! You brat.” Her attention turned to Solemn, and she reached out a hand to see if he was alright. “Are you alright? I don’t know what got into her. She’s not usually like this. I’m sorry.” The wound smarted a little now, but it was only the initial pain that had been bad. Not to mention, her concern for him definitely made him feel better. “Yeah. I’m fine.” He paused, still trying to rub away the remaining pain. “What was that you said about horses not being scary?” He had only meant it as a jest, but the Frostfawn woman looked about ready to cry. “I’m sorry, Solemn. I really am. She really isn’t like this normally. I know my horse. That’s why I picked her for you to learn on. She’s usually sweet. I promise.” Not wanting to be a source of distress for his mentor, he quickly calmed her. “I’m fine. Really. Let me give it another go.” This time, she hovered just behind him, ready to jump in and help him if he needed it. Hands trembling from the spark of excitement, Solemn eased toward Millie again. As an apparent sign of apology, the draft horse dipped her head to make Solemn’s task easier. Sighing in relief, Solemn took it as a good sign and raised the halter to slip it over the horse’s nose. Millie waited until his arms were committed to the deed, and then her big head darted forward to try to bite him again. Solemn’s teacher had been waiting for this and, moving past Solemn with a speed he was certain he would never have, punched the mare in the muzzle. It wasn’t a haymaker, by any means, just a short, sharp jab straight to the nose. Millie’s head popped back and up, her big eyes full of surprise. That wasn’t the response she had been expecting. Snorting several times, she shook her head and returned her attention to her owner. There was no doubt about it. Though this woman was barely half Solemn’s size, the huge horse respected her. The Frostfawn pointed a finger threateningly at her horse’s face. “That’s enough, Millie. You’re giving horses a bad name. Even worse, you’re making both of us look bad. Solemn’s just trying to help.” Her face softened, and she hugged the big creature’s neck, stroking the heavily-muscled neck and cooing soft words of forgiveness. Millie responded in kind by nickering and gently nudging the young woman with her muzzle. Once Millie had calmed sufficiently, the woman looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Sometimes, you have to be firm with them, but they’re big creatures. They can handle a little bop on the nose. Why don’t we give it one more try?” She stepped back again, giving him plenty of room. Any concern she had about Millie acting up had been resolved by their brief encounter. Somwhat hesitantly, Solemn started to the task again. “Be bold, Solemn. Horses can sense when you’re afraid, and they may use that against you. Remember: bold, not aggressive. Spooking a horse could possibly be the single unhealthiest thing a person could do.” That last bit did little to comfort him, but putting on his best show of confidence, Solemn strode up to the mare, turned in the same direction she was facing, and slipped the halter on over her nose. The motion was much simpler than he expected it to be, maybe because he had already run into so many snags before he could get to this point. He started to congratulate himself but realized there was still so much left to do. He hadn’t even tied the halter yet. It was the next thing to so, so he tried. And found it much harder than he had anticipated. Millie wasn’t towering, for a draft horse, but she still stood taller than most horses. That and the fact that she refused to drop her head any lower made it difficult to get the one strap over the top of her neck. He had to flip the strap to do so, but every time he managed to get the halter over Millie’s neck, the strap pulled back over due to the weight of the rest of the halter. After several failed attempts, his mentor offered some advice. “Keep your one hand high on her neck to hold the halter in place and then toss the other end to that hand.” Solemn followed the advice and, after one miss due to lack of coordination, caught the strap on the second go. It took him a while to figure out the proper placement and way to tie it in place as he was more accustomed to dog harnesses, but with the assistance of Millie’s newfound patience, he eventually figured it out. After a short congratulation, the Frostfawn woman continued to teach Solemn. “The reason I taught you how to halter her is that having a halter on a horse gives you a little more control over them. You won’t always need it, but if you don’t know a horse well or one you know is acting a little sketchy, it’s not a bad idea. “Now, I’m going to let you know what you should watch for when you are coming to groom a horse. Every horse should be checked at least twice a day and have a grooming once. Give them a basic look over from a distance. If they are on the ground and rolling, if they’re kicking at their belly, those can be signs of colic. If you see it or even think you see it, fetch a veterinarian. They’d rather know earlier than later. Also look to see how the horse is getting around. If it’s limping or not using a limb, get a vet. They’ll often stand with their weight on three limbs when they are feeling fine. You’ll learn what they look lie when they’re comfortable and when they’re not. “As far as grooming the horses goes, you just need to brush them down. They don’t generally need baths. Besides, they just tend to roll in their bedding and get dirty as soon as you do.” “Like dogs rolling in carcasses or manure after they’ve been bathed.” She laughed. “I don’t know if you realize it, Solemn, but you’re kind of proving my point about dogs being dumb.” Solemn joined her laughter but defended the animals he admired most. “Not dumb. Just gross.” “I can agree with that.” Solemn looked at her, trying to figure the young woman out. “You don’t like dogs, do you?” “No. Just horses.” “What’s so great about them?” She smiled. “Everything. But mostly, I love the ambience they create with the way they smell. Clean. Like hay.” “Dogs smell good, too.” Her laughter echoed off the walls of the stall. “You just told me they smell like shit and dead things.” Solemn couldn’t deny that. Dogs could be gross.

[Solemn Warborn]

Pulling several brushes from a small shelf between the stalls, she demonstrated to Solemn how to use the brush to remove the small bits of straw and hay and dirt that got caught in the horse’s hair. Each brush was meant to be used at a different time than the others, some on regular brushings and some only when the horses were being bathed. After sweeping a small brush over Millie several times, the Frostfawn allowed Solemn to try. He followed her guidance, varying long swipes with short ones, always going in the direction the hair lay. That much was common sense. Few creatures enjoyed having their hair rubbed the wrong way. Millie, now content that nothing would go wrong, ignored the two people altogether and went back to eating. As Solemn finished brushing down Millie’s body, the Frostfawn woman pulled out a comb and exchanged it with Solemn for the brush. “Always be sure to do their tails. They’ll get a lot of snags in them, not to mention all the straw and bedding that gets tangled in as well.” Solemn reached for the top of the horse’s tail, but his mentor immediately stopped him. “Woah, woah, woah.” She took the comb from his hand, shaking her head. “Leave it to a man to make that mistake. Typical.” Shrugging, unsure of what mistake he had been about to make, Solemn looked to her with questioning eyes. She, in turn, rolled hers. “Everyone with hair knows you can’t brush it out from the top. If you do that, you’ll just snag the comb, and it’ll hurt like you wouldn’t believe. You have to start from the ends and brush it out bit by bit.” She began and let Solemn finish. It took him a while to get the hang of it, and by the time he finished, he felt as if half the morning had passed. “Goddess,” he groaned. “I’m glad I’m not a girl.” She laughed. “It’s not as bad as you think, Solemn. You learn to do all these little things without even thinking about them, especially when you grow up dealing with them.” Solemn really wished she’d stop calling him by his name. It was beginning to make him feel terrible for not knowing hers. The next demonstration was regarding cleaning a horse’s feet. Setting her hand on Millie’s body, the young woman trailed it down the horse’s back, walking close to the creature so her body brushed its side. “Always let a horse know where you are by keeping a hand on them. The safest place to be when dealing with horses is up against their side. It might not seem like it makes sense, but it does. A horse’s main danger is its legs. They can kill you with a kick.” That didn’t build Solemn’s comfort, but he kept listening. “Their power comes from their extension though, so if you’re in close, they can’t kick you with their full strength. Don’t get me wrong. It still hurts when you get kicked. Trust me. I’ve been kicked my fair share, but I’m still here.” Solemn was getting nervous again, and Millie seemed to notice. The big mare finally turned her attention back to her caretakers by looking back directly at Solemn. He stepped away warily. “Any other dangers I should be aware of?” She laughed at his cowardice. “Be bold, Solemn. Remember? She knows you’re afraid. She smells it.” She laughed again. “I can see it. Step up close. You’ll be safer.” Hesitantly, Solemn did as he was asked. “As for other dangers, make sure you don’t get between a horse and a wall. That could end up badly for you. Respect their size.” Placing a hand on Millie’s side in what he hoped she’d take as a gesture of peace and confidence, Solemn nodded and stored that piece of advice away in his mind. Pointing over next to her on the side away from Millie, she readied herself to teach him more. “Come stand over here.” “I thought you said to stay close to the horse.” “I’ll save you from the vicious creature. Now come over here.” When he was in a place where he could see what she was doing, she ran her hand down Millie’s leg until she reached the fetlock. Pinching the back of the joint, the Frostfawn waited for her horse to lift it. Once the leg was up, she caught the front of it in her hand, stepped over it, and held it between her legs. “Did you see how I did that? It’s an easy way to hold up a horse’s leg, especially a back one. If you’re strong enough, you can hold the leg with one hand while you clean the hoof with the other.” She pulled a small metal tool with a ninety degree turn at the end from one of her pockets. “This is a hoof pick. Try to keep one on you at all times. You use it like this.” She dug the small prong into the sole of the hoof, prying away manure and other material that had gathered there. As she did, she pointed out the various parts of the sole and how they should look. There was an obvious tone of pride as she stated that Millie’s feet were perfect. Done with the first, she handed the hoof pick over. “Your turn.” Solemn set his hand on the big mare’s rump to let her know he was walking behind her. Then, he slid his hand down her leg and pinched the same spot the woman had. Nothing happened. “Click your tongue,” she suggested. “Most well-trained horses won’t need any more prodding than that.” He did, and sure enough, Millie’s leg popped up. Cleaning the hoof was much easier than he thought it would be. When he finished the other two, she asked if he had any questions. “I’m sure I’ve got tons of them, but I’m too scared to remember what any of them are.” “Well, any time you see me about, feel free to ask me if you do remember. Now, I think you’ve got other horses to see to. I’ll see you around, Solemn.” “Yeah. See you around.” He’d have to ask someone what her name was. There was something fascinating about her, but it seemed there was something about any woman to the man she chose to give her attention to. Solemn spent the rest of his day around horses, but for some reason, that didn’t seem nearly as bad as it had at the beginning of the day. Only once did he have a struggle with a horse, one that refused to let him put a halter on it. At the end of the day, he had only taken care of a single aisle of stalls while other stable hands had done four or five times as many, but Solemn felt more accomplished than any of them.

[Shaqira]

G R A D E

xp

Socialization +1
Horsemanship +3
Grooming +1
Rhetoric +1
Observation +2
Interrogation +1


lores

Solemn: Scared of horses
Lusina Frostfawn: Head of the White Elk Stables
Horsemanship: Ear position hints at a horse’s mood
Horsemanship: Unruly horses need a firm hand sometimes
Horsemanship: Horses can sense fear
Horsemanship: Putting on a harness
Horsemanship: Symptoms of colic
Horsemanship: Grooming a horse
Grooming: Brush hair from the ends first
Horses can kill with a swift kick
Horsemanship: Always let a horse know where you are
Grooming: Picking a horse’s hooves
Horsemanship: What a healthy hoof looks like
Interrogation: Questioning conflicting instructions
Ouch, bitten by a horse!

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