i need another story something to get off my chest
my life is kinda boringneed something that i can confess
Skoll wanted to spend some one-on-one time with Hwin today. He’d always sat outside her stall and talked to her, and pet her and brushed her coat once, but most of her care was left to the more experienced Alder. It wasn’t that the boy didn’t want to learn how to tend to his own mount, but he wasn’t sure what would be overstepping his boundaries. Certainly, he wasn’t a little puppy that needed to be constantly watched around the horses anymore, but he had learned caution.
He was going to try today, however, to at least lead her out to pasture. He didn’t know how to ride her yet, but he didn’t think that guiding her with a halter would be hard if he walked alongside her. His tail wagging, he dove for the tack, knocking aside bridles with his shoulder, almost kicking a bucket, grabbing one of the old worn halters at last. “Let’s go, Hwin,” the boy cajoled as he moved past the other horses’ stalls to the bay sabino’s. He swung the door open slowly, and the mare blinked sleepily at him; she was always sleepy when he didn’t want her to be, he thought. He fumbled with the halter until it was around the right way and attempted to slide it onto the mare’s long snout. She stood placidly while he fiddled with the straps, and triumphantly he hooked a rope to it. “Let’s go!” Skoll barked again, and walked toward the pasture—about three steps, at least, until he noticed Hwin wasn’t budging. “Come on. I know you’re doin’ this to annoy me on purpose!” He tugged again, but she only stared at him innocently and flicked her dark tail.
The male sat in the hayloft. It was, as one my thing, filled with hay. But stuck in a far corner were a makeshift table and a wooden crate seat, reinforced in the middle to take his weight. In the light of the noon sun he could look upon the papers and charcoal markings that he wrote, and read the faded ink pages of the books that the previous Marshal had left and the ones he had gathered himself.
The longer days meant that each mare of age would be coming into her season, and the window of his breeding program would be opened. Names, descriptions of pelts, sizes and dispositions, and of course the pros and the negatives of the horses he had in his pool were neatly listed on sheets of parchment. His tongue peeked out from the side of his mouth as he made the possible pairings that he hoped would bring the next generation of Courier steeds.
The stables were not a noisy place. Of course the sounds of the horses echoed through the halls, the padding of a fellow pack member and the tink and clink of tack and hooves. Regardless there was a stillness below, and he could concentrate and focus… Hawthorn; he was of breeding age and the positives were so abundant for his dear friend. A colt of his blood would be a prize for the Marshal, as if his very own son. The masked male fought to find the perfect mate for his friend when there was a break in the silence.
His head rose, and he studied the sounds for a moment before he moved to the ladder and descended to the ground in time to hear the boy’s words. They were littered with frustration, and even though it was non aggressive, the fur along his back tingled and caused it to rise slightly for a moment. Alder did not let such disruption of the calm go unnoticed and corrected. The balance between the herd would be disrupted. He walked slowly to find the gold and green-eyed wolf standing before a new mare.
A bit stubborn is she? he spoke, his voice fluid and calm and a smile upon his features. He was concerned by Skoll’s reaction, not angered or annoyed at the least. Alder believed fully in living in a tranquil coexistence, and their energy and body language was what delegated such a peace agreement. The Mashal would be happy to teach the young wolf what was necessary to grow that bond of trust.
i need another story something to get off my chest
my life is kinda boringneed something that i can confess
Narrow green eyes and placid dark ones remained locked for what seemed like hours, a battle of wills—although Hwin was winning the battle by doing absolutely nothing, standing and staring at him. Her tail swished again at one point, which made his ears perk up from their crossly flattened position in his wild mane, but she betrayed no other signs of weakness: gone still as stone.
The voice of the Marshall made the boy’s tail wag once in greeting, and the mare whickered as well although neither looked away from each other—though with the peripheral vision of herbivores, the horse could see Alder much better than Skoll could like this. “Very stubborn,” the golden boy growled. Sighing, he finally abandoned the staring and looked over at the older male, dropping the rope and letting Hwin shake her mane out and twitch a shoulder that an annoying fly had landed on. “She’s really nice but she doesn’t want to go out,” he whined, stepping toward Alder to appeal. “I wanna run and exercise ’er and and sometime ride and stuff, but… She’s a silly horse.” This last remark was snorted in the mare’s direction, but she ignored him with maternal patience.
[html] i didnt want to PP Hwin too much, so you can decide on how she reacts ^^
Alder walked up beside the wolf, and looked as he gave the last attempt to rally the horse. The mare was the newest in the stables, and Alder had smelled Skoll on her pelt when he tended to her. It made clearer sense now, seeing the male trying to handle her. As Skoll explained he could not get the mare to follow him. There was a crack in the male’s tone, a whine at the end and many ups and downs in between. Alder nodded, understanding what the wolf’s true problem was. And he imagined Skoll had no knowledge of what it was.
You two might just need to get used to one another a bit more. Alder said, slipping into the stall beside the mare to look her over. Where did she come from? He asked as he looked her over, making sure there was nothing that he could see that would keep the horse from moving at her own will. Seeing nothing he began to pet her lightly on the neck, rubbing her down and giving her a scratch along the shoulder.
He noticed that she was watching him intently when she stood at her side. Alder nickered to her, though a generic sound and not one of low speech it was one of encouragement and he held the rope close to the mares nose and gave a pat near her back end to get her moving.
i need another story something to get off my chest
my life is kinda boringneed something that i can confess
The golden boy frowned when the man insisted they needed to get used to each other. “We hang out all the time,” he complained. “Sometimes she lets me brush her, and I come and read her a story about a boy named Shasta and a talking horse named Bree; she likes that I think.” Although she fell asleep about mid-chapter, he didn’t mind and still enjoyed sitting outside the stall and reading out loud. And she was nice to him, never flattened her ears at him meanly or scared and she never bit—but she was still stubborn as a mule. He peered at her suspiciously, wondering if she really was one.
Watching Alder pet the horse, he suppressed a snort. Hwin seemed happy for the attention, and he almost forgot to answer the Marshall’s question. “She came from Cercatori d’Arte, after the open borders thing Oak took me home from. She was a gift, since I was around and had good manners and stuff.”
He trailed off and stared in bewilderment as Hwin took a little step forward with the masked male’s encouragement. It wasn’t like she was suddenly racing out of the stall, but she did move forward a little and peer at Alder.
Alder listened as the young male spoke, nodding as he explained how they spent their time. He understood how the golden boy felt that they should understand and know one another, but to the Marshal those were not the way to grow close to one's horse. The we're many other things that a rider needed to factor in when treating to their horse.
He was grateful for the mare's small movements forward, though there was no great lunge towards the ring he was going to guide her towards. So she came from another pack? Alder thought. There were many places a horse could come from, and it seemed that they had not done too much in the ways of training the mare. But Alder was happy to help, and very happy for the male who now had his own steed.
Easy now. he spoke softly to the mare, whispering in her ear. A simple word in low speech would certainly get her moving, but that was unfair for the boy. He needed to learn. They were very generous. She is of beautiful stock. Alder gave the other male a smile. Come, stand here beside her. She can see you much better at her side then she can standing in front. Alder moved away so that Skoll could step in his place. Give her a tab on the rump, and ask her to -Walk-. Give her a few clicks of the tongue too. Alder omitted the clicking sound of encouragement that was given to the horses by most.
i need another story something to get off my chest
my life is kinda boringneed something that i can confess
Skoll had grown up knowing that horses were friends instead of food, and while that meant that he would never dare to hurt one, it also fostered a rather unrealistic view on how to bond with one. While they couldn’t speak the language of wolves, he’d always thought they were the same anyway. And so why shouldn’t Hwin be his friend since he read books to her? In reality, though, his constant presence had built her tolerance and a sort of amused kindness toward him but not much else.
The mare whickered back at the masked wolf, standing steady as he instructed and swiveling her ears forward at the sound of the prince walking toward them slowly. He nodded, allowing some of his uncertainty to show, and came to stand beside her. He guessed her eyes were more on the side of her head than the front, like a deer’s or rabbit’s; he hadn’t really taken that into account.
“Okay,” Skoll muttered to Alder, and said with a gentle little nudge of her rump, “Hwin, walk.” He clicked his tongue, and the mare started forward again, one hoof in front of the other. The boy was startled by her obedience, too much so to move, and she stopped and looked back at the canines for further instruction.
In a world were to speak was to announce your presence to stalking predators, the horse kind had learned to read the silent actions of once another. Their body language spoke louder then any sound they could give. In the wolf world it would make the snarl greater then a raging scream, the wag of the tail higher then the gleeful greeting, the rising of a hackle more powerful then a low rasping growl. It was not how Alder and Skoll lived though, and so they needed to learn how important each body movement was. For they were as intentional as any spoken word.
Alder knew a bit more then the younger male, even though his schooling was continuous. Each day he learned more, and each horse he passed by was a new teacher.
Skoll seemed to become a bit more docile as he moved into position, and Alder smiled gently as he took up the respected position. He nodded to himself as the young male spoke the command and gave an encouraging click. He was a quick learner. When the golden wolf paused Alder waved him on. Take charge Skoll, gentle but assertive leadership. He explained as he moved himself down the row of stalls and towards the ring, waiting for the pupils to follow.
i need another story something to get off my chest
my life is kinda boringneed something that i can confess
Alder told him to take charge, and Skoll realized belatedly that a prince shouldn’t have to be given that order. He was naturally dominant, his siblings feeling his power from a young age as he pushed them around gently and commanded the most attention, but perhaps he’d been afraid of scaring the horse or being too rough. He wasn’t aware just how much she was able to handle, and in treading softly, he hadn’t done very well as a leader for the mare. She swiveled her ears when the masked wolf walked ahead, and the boy set his jaw determinedly.
“Let’s walk, Hwin,” Skoll said more firmly than before, and a touch made her take a few steps forward. He tried to remember to stay at the side of her head, and the going was slow, but she plodded alongside him more or less complacently. When the ring came into sight, she moved a little bit faster, and he had to give a little tug on her halter to keep her from dashing off without him. “Easy. Why’re you excited all of a sudden?” the boy chattered, and stopped once they reached the gate. He glanced sheepishly at the Marshall, wondering if he’d done a good job or not; just because Hwin was complying didn’t mean that he was the sole cause of it, after all.
Bluh, I'm sorry too; I haven't had any motivation for Skoll lately.
[html] we can end this is you's like, say Alder taught him to lunge Hwin? up to you
Alder watched with a keen eye, seeing the male and horse walk side by side. Waiting at the ring he was able to watch them as they came forward, the mare noticing the area and growing curious and even a bit anxious. But the young wolf did not allow her to rush ahead or become too anxious. It was appropriate and best of all given in a timely manner.
He nodded his approval, It’s about gaining an understanding between the two of you. Not dominating. Just remember that. Alder gave a bit of a wink as he said the last words. It was a simple philosophy, a horse just needed to understand what the rider wanted. Most where happy to comply, and he thought Hwin was such a horse.
The Marshal opened the ring’s gate and took up the long roped that hung on the fence post. Walk her a bit more, get used to standing beside her and leading. Then I will teach you to lunge her. He waited for the male to come forward with the horse. It was important to take baby steps, even if Alder thought that he was ready to jump on a horse and ride.
Only if you want to! :o I think I'm getting back into the swing of things; I just needed to make myself post, haha.
Understanding, not dominating. Skoll nodded, trying to smile, and gently patted the mare’s neck as they stood at the edge of the ring. He thought it might be easier if he spoke the language of horses like Alder did, but he didn’t know if he’d be ready to learn something like that—and he wanted to try it first as he was, proving that he was capable.
The bay horse lifted her head at the sight of the opened gate, but she waited as Skoll glanced at the male uncertainly. “What’s lunging?” he asked, his green eyes falling on the rope. He felt like he should know, but he supposed there was no fault in not knowing; he was only a squire, after all, and didn’t work with the horses a lot like Alder.
“Come on,” the boy said cheerfully to the sabino horse, heading into the ring. Sometimes he had to click his tongue to get her to pay attention, but they paced around the ring, and she followed where he led. After he felt like they’d gotten the hang of it, he headed back to the masked wolf, smiling sheepishly. Hwin almost seemed amused.
Image manipulated by Cait; table code by the Mentors!
[html]feel free to PP Alder explaining/showing him the basics of lunging... I didn't want to draw anything out with gallons of dialog. I'm happy to continue if you are!
To stand beside a creature that was so completely different then their own kind was an unnatural thing. Alder had thought long about that principle. Wolves and their like were not made to stand beside a prey animal, but behind it. In the chase. They did not only have to teach the horse not to run, teach them that they could indeed be trusted, but they needed to show their own bodies that the horse was a friend and not a meal. A comfort and an ease was necessary when developing the bond of rider and horse, even if it was just in the simplest of movements such as walking side by side.
It will help determine if she has been trained before. To walk on and to halt. He explained to the golden wolf.
Alder gathered up the long line, and then the thin stick whip that he used to encourage the horse at the end of the lunge line. He waited and watched, finding that Skoll worked well with the mare. He had confidence and was eager to learn and that was what they all needed in order to move forward with any sort of training. He approached the Marshal and Alder gave him a nod. Remove that lead, and place this one on her. Please. It was unnatural for the masked wolf to give commands, but instead of feeling unsure he knew that what he asked was proper and necessary.
He waited for Skoll to return with the lead so that Alder could take it up in his hand. With the other black dipped fingers he turned the thin whip between them, and moved slowly to the center. He did not make sudden movements, but slowly and with a fluid sense that he had gained from experience. He looked to the male, eyes searching for the green orbs to direct him out to the edge with a meaningful nod of his head. He did not want to get tied up in the line.
Positioned in the center of the ring Alder watched the mare. She was to walk at the end of the line and he would move with her, the whip only a gentle encouragement for her to get started. Her body pulled out at the first steps, and Alder instinctively knew when to give a pull of the rein and when to touch with the whip. Always releasing the tension of the correction in the rein and never startling with a too harsh a snap of the whip.
Her body relaxed, more quickly then most and he could see that it was not her first time in being asked to do such a thing. He slowed her, and then called for the male to join him. Its your turn. He was confident that the mare could handle the younger wolf taking the rein.
Skoll nodded at the other’s explanation. He had a feeling that Hwin had been trained at least a little bit, but maybe there was a reason she had been given away rather than any of the other horses. Then again, he had no idea about what Cercatori d’Arte’s livestock were like, despite hanging out around the barn with Orin for a while after he ran into her. But at least she wasn’t a bad horse, or unused to wolves; she just liked to test the boy, who didn’t quite know how to relate to a horse on this level yet.
He smiled faintly as he unhooked the lead, attaching the one at the end of the longer rope. He stood back then, moving more quickly to stay back when Alder nodded toward the edge of the ring. Green eyes watched curiously as the bay mare began to walk out, soon getting the hang of walking at the end of the line. Alder knew what he was doing with his different corrections, and the squire flattened his ears nervously when it was his turn.
“Okay,” he mumbled as he came closer alongside Hwin. He took the line and the whip gingerly, glancing at the mare. He lightly snapped the whip as he stood in the right position, after Alder had gotten to a safe spot and given him the go-ahead, and the sabino began to move. He kept the rein too tense at first, but with Alder’s help he recognized the discomfort and adjusted quickly to give her more range of movement with her neck.
Eventually, Hwin was reacting to his commands well; he was a bit clumsy and slow in asking her for what she needed to do, but she compensated for the inexperienced handler and worked well, especially with Alder constantly giving the boy direction. After a while, Skoll called her in again and stroked her neck happily, glancing at Alder with a small grin on his face.
Image manipulated by Cait; table code by the Mentors!
[html]we could close this up. I would love another thread!
It was not an easy task, but the golden wolf was getting more and more comfortable with the new aspects of horse handling. Alder watched closely, eyes on the horse as much as the wolf. He commented with he needed to, and relaxed and allowed Skoll to take full control when he was capable.
The masked male nodded, feeling strangely aged and experienced. He had given many a pointer here and there at times, but full concise lessons for a young and not yet molded mind… Alder did not get to do that often. He was a natural at following, and yet now he felt much more like a leader. A father like figure even. It was hard for Alder to find that within himself.
Good job He spoke with a smile. Very good job. He moved to the center to meet the other wolf, and patted the horse on the neck. She had done well too, and it was time that she got a good long break. Time to groom her and give her a rest. The tall male gave Skoll a nod and then headed back to the fence. He felt it necessary to give the two creatures time alone to bond, to form their partnership and it was in the small details that it would grow.
