[Jakobis Yard] Listen Closely (Solo)

[Ana Sol Starris]

Jakobis Yard Spring 81st, 512AV; Early Morning Horse, horse, and more horses! Ana was simply amazed by the ammount in one place and then the gates and fences keeping them from roaming away. The little thief was all too eager to begin a day of work with them, there was one particular horse that had caught her eye- Sharena, the first horse she had ridden that wasn't proclaimed to die right away because of over-exhertion. Eyes watering at the thought, so many majestic and beautiful creatures had died on the trip.. as well as to the displeasure in Jakobis tone when she had mentioned it to him the first time she met him. Ana felt bad about the trip, she hadn't wanted any of the horses to die.. They were just over-worked.. To get here. To the Spires, Ana could only hope that she and her brothers and sisters could possibly capture as many residents equivalent to horses dead because of the Sunberthian trip and back. If not, Ana would personally take on as many captures as she could to eqaul the numbers, but for now she kept to the stables; she was poor, and didn't like having to borrow money from her family. Working here for enough money, she could then possibly buy enough supplies from Centroc to capture residents. As she came up to the paddock, she looked around for Mr. Horsewhisperer around the field and saw nothing besides horses and grass and the looming jungle of a forest far away. Frowning as she couldn't find him, perhaps he wasn't here? Until she jumped three feet in the air because of an over-enthusiastic voice "Anasol!" The thunder clap of hooves behind her as she looked backwards to only see Jakobi racing on a horse towards her, jumping backwards and landing on her butt with a yelp as the insane man slowed the horse down to a trot, not even worried that he could have possibly trampled her. Staring up at him like he was nuts, him and his crazy pectorals as he spoke again with a chime in his voice "what are you doing sitting on the ground" he told her "get started, the horses won't groom themselves!" With heart hammering hard against her chest, she wanted to growl at him for playing such a cruel trick, but she remained silent as she picked herself, patting her clothes off "I was just looking for you.." She ignored his commandish statement, annoyance layed thick in her voice "I don't actually know how to groom a horse, I was wondering if perhaps you could show me some basics.. I promise I learn quickly." Straight to the point, Ana wavered under the awkward silence, watching as he rubbed his chin in thought. Taking his sweet time in replying to her "well this is a problem, I don't want someone who doesn't know what they're doing taking care of the horses.. But I guess if you're willing," he seemed to muse, his face going dark for a moment before lighting back up into a grin "c'mon, off to the stables we go then Anasol" the horse he sat upon now, turned and began to trot off to the stables, leaving Ana in the dust. With a jerk, Ana began to jog after him with an extremely irritable look on her face, petch him and his amazing looking pectorals Ana thought to herself quietly, annoyedly. Coming up to him in the stables, Jakobi had dismounted and begun to gather up tools. In a pert voice, he egged her on "c'mon slowpoke Anasol, I've a few things to tell you before we begin, why do you think we groom our horses?" The question was easy enough but it had taken Ana aback. Floundering for an answer and took a few moments to come up with one- only to have herself cut off, for taking too long "we groom our horses for a good few reasons, first of all it helps keep the horse clean and healthy as well as allows us a chance to check for any problems with the horses skin or body, such as lameness, swelling, cuts, scrapes or a change in mood" he paused a moment and patted the mare he had ridden "it also helps to build special bonds between handler and horse. So grooming is as important as keeping tact in tip top shape, even more so." Stopping to look at her, with an incredulous expression "do you understand?" Ana had been watching him as he spoke, nodded her head slowly with a set frown. This all seemed to be common sense.. "Okay.." She replied after a moment of silence. Jakobi nodded as he gestured to the equipment he had gathered up, "now, we use a vareity of equipment.. he stated, with a lack of impression in his voice towards her as he knelt to pick an item up, holding it out for her to see "first is the curry comb," waving the hand lightly that held the said piece of equipment, he began to take it to the horses coat in an experienced circular motion. Stopping as he looked back over to Ana "c'mon now, how are you gonna learn anything over there?" Waving his hand for her to come closer, Ana did so, standing next to him shyly at his gestures to give him her hand, lifting it up he placed the comb in Anas hand and began to guide it in circular motions "nice, slow, and easy, you rub the horse down to loosen any dirt and hair," he let go of her hand and stepped back. Ana stopped the circular motions and watched him, looking between him and the horse, he made a gesture for her to continue on before picking up the next piece of equipment. Setting her face into that of determination, a rather dark blush on her face due to his hand on hers before, she began to rub the horse down slowly, nicely along the horses coat in circular motions.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Round, and round and still round, Anas hand went in circular motions over the horses body. Reaching as high as she could and going as low as she could, from top to bottom, the legs, the neck, the body and all around in slow motions. Concentrating on replicating what Jakobi had shown her, applying pressure lightly and evenly. With a look that could burn, she finished rubbing the horse down and looked to Jakobi "okay, now what?" She questioned, as he inspected her work with a scrunitive eye, walking around the horse and looking closely. After a few moments he came back to her and patted the mare again, "you missed a few spots silly Anasol, do it again, this time with a little more pressure." Tilting her head up at him unbelievably before looking to the horse again, once more she began the process of rubbing the horse down and this time she double checked where she had been and inpected it as closely as she could "thats good, now, onto the next part- getting the dirt and dander off," Jakobi spoke behind her. Stepping to the side, Jakobi handed her a different brush with hard bristles "next we use a dandy brush, isn't it handy?" Ana swivelled her head up at him, taking the brush and then looking back to the horse as he continued on "you want to go from front to back, the same direction as the horses hair growth" he made a few back and forth motions in the air as Ana looked at him again confused "oh its not that hard!" Mr. Horsewhisper said in an amused voice. He pranced away, "what you're leaving me?!" Ana exclaimed to him as he stopped and looked back at her. "Theres other horses to be groomed as well Anasol, can't expect me to babysit you, hm? After the hard bristled brush, look for the softer brisled one, go over it after the dandy brush and then come to me," he walked away with a gait in his step with another horse and began to groom it whilst leaving Ana to her tasks. Ana watched after him, wasn't he suppose to be teaching her? Pursing her lips, furrowing her eyes, she began to go over the horses coat with the dandy brush slowly and deliberately, getting a good look which path the horses coat was growing as she moved along it in the same direction. Getting the dander and the dirt as well as pieces of grass that had stuck on the horses coat whilst on the field off of it with the dandy brush. Inspecting her own work after awhile, she went over the horses coat a second time just in case with slow and deliberate strokes. Because Ana was so short, she had trouble reaching up to the horses higher part of her neck and had to step on her tippy toes to get up there. Down her strokes went, repeatedly and as light as she could without harming the horse. After she had finished with the dandy brush, she looked around for the softer brush Jakobi had mentioned. Finding it in the small pile of tools the man had left for her, she ran a hand along its bristles and found it was softer than the harder bristled brush, as if it were actual hair. Taking it to the horses coat, she began to brush down the horse in the direction of where the horses hair was growing. Softly, slowly, she worked without tiring, stretching herself onto her tip toes as much as she could to get as high as she could on the horses coat. It hadn't occurred to Ana that she could possibly find a log to step on to get the horses head but it didn't take her long to get the legs and the body groomed up. Common sense told her to go slow and gentle, just as she would her own hair with her fingers in the morning. "eh, I guess it'll have to do.. Did you take care of the mane also?" He commented towards the mares clean coat and then to her mane, "don't forget to comb the mane out' Ana jumped out of surprise when he spoke so sudenly, looking at him with a surprised look she almost glowered at him for doing so.. But held it back, he was after all helping her learn about horses.. Albeit.. In a strange way.. Ana stared at him, then to the horses mane, the beautiful creature had been so patient with the little learner.. Or maybe it was trained to accept the grooming. Either way, she picked up what appeared to be a comb and then reached high, but not high enough.. Stopping she looked at him "I can't reach all the way," she stated somewhat embarresedly at her height. Being around possibly five feet against a horse almost twice her height made it somewhat impossible to groom thouroughly. Jakobi was thinking again "you certainly are a lot of trouble, there should be a wood block for you to stand on y'know, somewheres," he gestured to one in the corner. The horse seemed to whinny at her height, amused, padding her hoof into the ground. Why didn't the horse just lean down a bit for her? Ana grumbled lightly feeling as if the mare and Jakobi were in cahoots with eachother. They most likely were.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Scampering to the wooden block, it appeared to be apart of what could have possibly been a rotten log before use as a stool. Picking it up with difficulty, unbalanced in her way of movement, Ana carried it over to the horse and set it as closely as she could without being right under the horse. Hopping up on it she began to comb through the horses mane slowly, sighing, memories a life once lived began to tumble in. Her mother had done this to her hair, slowly, deliberately and lovingly, how she missed her mother.. She had been an especially kind parent, as well as young and beautiful. They, Ana and Nephile looked very much the same in terms of physical features.. Except her eyes, Anas eyes were honeyed like her fathers. Ana did much of the same to the mare as her own mother had to her as a child, what lovely times that had been. No fighting, no anger, no fear, just calm, bonding familial members.. Mother to daughter, and certainly no father to muck up such pleasent times., Even though those times didn't last.. There was always some sort of work to be done that made time with her mother sparse and far between. Combing, gently, nicely, she examined the horses mane as well as well as the neck.. Running an absent minded hand along the strong muscle, the coat, it felt so soft now compared to before. Thick, but soft. Spreading across her face, she grinned at the handiwork she had been performing.. Horse grooming wasn't so hard after all. When she looked over to Jakobi again, she found he wasn't there, but off to some other horses.. Sighing she ran her hand against the horses body a bit more, the mare gave a snort and a slight shake of its head as she did so. Clip clopping her hoofs impatiently, Ana frowned and hopped down and began to roll the old wooden block away so she wouldn't trip on it later by accident. Now she began to look through the tools that were still there, picking up a metal pick she held it in her hands and wondered what it was for, there was also a rag, as well as what seemed to be a piece of cord finely wound around to make a sort of noose shape tool.. Setting it down, she looked at the dandy brush, the soft brush, and the comb, all tools of horse grooming, equipment she would get very familliar with by the time it was to leave. Spreading them out, she arranged them in silly ways, she didn't know what to do next.. So she picked up the rag, looking at it then to the horse. Whispers crawled to her ears slowly, should she wait for further instruction or go about on her own way? He seemed to be busy with other horses... Anas mind tugged and pulled, temptation to continue without further instruction bombarded her mind. Grimacing, she set the rag down, better to wait.. The horse wasn't hers after all, and she was still just learning.. Nervously she looked to where Jakobi was and continued to wait. Unsure of what to do she looked around for some hay, grabbing a handful and scampering back up to the horse, holding the hay in a fist and holding it out for the horse. The mare began to munch happily on the hay, making Ana even more excited, childish, it was when her hand was bitten did she jump away "ow!" Dropping whatever remainder of hay she had in hands and holding the apendage, eyes watering up. Where she would normally hold the hilt of her sword, between the thumb and finger was now bleeding lightly, red, throbbing, burning, stinging, it was certainly going to bruise all around there. Ana stared at it dumbfoundedly, holding her hand by her wrist and palm.. Jumping at a voice and attempting to hide the apendage with great pain under her arm by crossing them. "Alright, seems you're lollygagging- now for the next part, digging out the dirt in the horses hoof" Jakobi said brightly as came back over, stopping next to the mare and looking at her combed hair "could be better though.." he said in a round about way, looking between her, then the horse and back with an unimpressed expression "c'mon, this can't be explained with just words," he said as he picked up the pick tool. Ana moved closer, keeping her hand under her arms in hopes of not being more trouble.. Biting her lip as she blinked back tears. The bite petching hurt, and now she had to use her hands more.. She watched as Jakobi took a spot around the horses leg, bringing it up as to not get kicked in the head and began to dig and scrape manure, dirt, and grass as well as other such particles out of the hoof, Ana barely heard what he was saying, she only watched, trying to bite back the throbbing pain in her hand as she did so. When Jakobi held the pick out to her, she glanced up at him, then to the tool and to the other hoofs needing to be picked out. With her non-hurt hand she reached for it and grasped it, straightening up as she pushed her hurt one behind her back. "Did you get all that?" Jakobi asked her, raising an eyebrow at her as if he was suspicious she hadn't been listening.

[Ana Sol Starris]

"Uh.. Y-yeah.." Ana replied unsurely of herself, she had been watching how he had did it but otherwise whatever he had said went over her head. Shaking his head, he didn't seem to believe her "you don't sound like you do," crossing his arms at her, as if expecting more of an answer "if you did, then do what I just did. Simple then." Ana gave him a look akin to horror and fear, then to the pick in her normal hand and once more to the horses hoofs. The pain in her other hand reminded her why she hadn't been listening in the first place, cringing, she went to the other side of the horse only to be followed by Jakobi who was monitering her movements very closely. Ana reached for a hoof and then was stopped blatantly "no, no, no, you'll get kicked if you do it like that" Jakobi objected and pulled her away "watch, and listen closely- I don't want to have to repeat myself again" he stated with annoyance as he lifted the horses leg and seemed to hold it with his arm, bent over "why we do this is to make sure the horse doesn't aquire a foot problem commonly known as thrush," he pointed to the areas in the frontal toe of the horse and then to the back part of it "all around, it also helps to know if theres a rock lodged in there, which will cause discomfort to the horse, and then also breaks or sharp objects inside it which can become very serious if not treated right away." Jakobi said with the utmost seriousness. Nodding all the while he was speaking, she listened this time to him, intent on getting the job finished. The bitten hand twitched every so lightly, sending tremors of pain up her arm as well as water to her eyes. Gripping with her other hand with a death grip, the metal pick, she assumed the same position as Jakobi had done once he moved out of the way. Wrapping her arm around the leg and bringing it up, with as much subtlety as she could, Ana switched the metal pick to her other hand and be. Wanting to scream, she groaned, biting the inside of her cheek as she did so, just grasping the metal made her hand come alive in firey pain. Ana began to dig lightly, as Jakobi had show her, into the horses hoof, into the crevices and everywheres. It seemed Jakobi was checking the horses coat at the moment and thus did not see the cut in her hand, though she wouldn't be able to hide it forever. Finishing with the hoof, she set it down nicely and moved to the next one, inhaling deeper to keep from screaming still. Lifting the third hoof up and under her arm, Ana began to painstakingly dig out the manure and dirt from the hoof once more. "How'd you manage that?" Mr. Horsewhispers voice rung out in front of her, Ana looked up at him then down to the hoof, continueing on though her hand said not to "fed the horse some hay.." she muttered quietly to him. Ana heard Jakobi laugh, laugh! Chuckle! At her bite! What was so funny about it?! Ana thought enragedly as she shot him a glare "whats so funny?" She questioned him, fumbling with the pick now as she realized her mistake. It landed on the ground and she shot her hand to pick it up again, dropping it, picking it, dropping it, she seemed to growl as she could pick it up now before finally cupping it under her fingers and grasping. "Thats such a common mistake, silly Anasol, did you hold the hay in a fist?" He questioned lightly, ignoring her anger. Ana inspected the hoof once more, digging for any unnecessary dirt in there before setting the hoof down and straightening up, moving over to the next hoof and wrapping her good arm up and around it, gripping the ankle of the hoof and up. "Yeah, why? How'd you know.." Ana retorted irritatedly. Jakobi mused lightly at her "you should have held your palm out flat, that way they don't bite you by accident.. How do I know? As I said, its such a common mistake amongst you greenhorns." He replied to her, shrugging off her irritation once more "think of it as a present from the horse to not treat one lightly," he grinned at her as she shot him a glance once more. Grumbling outwardly this time, Ana hissed particularly loud as her control over the pain in her hand waned as she cleaned the fourth hoof out. Biting the inside of her cheek harder in the process, "I'll remember that.." "When you're done, you should hop on down to the injury ward.. You wouldn't want that to get worse than it already is," Jakobi told her, rather than suggested "getting dirt and horse manure in a cut can't be good.." He laughed once more, patting the mare as she worked. Inhaling deeply, she felt annoyance with him. Petch him and his amazing pecs, Ana thought to herself, glaring more out of pain now rather than towards him. In, out, around, to the crevices, Ana got the dirt out and then some, it covered her picking hand as her good hand was used to hold the horses ankle. Whatever movement she made with her picking hand, caused it to sear in pain, whatever landed it, made it burn even worse. Ana looked at it disgustingly. This wasnt healthy at all. Setting the hoof down after she had finished with it she moved to the side and straightened up, looking over to Jakobi "okay, finished," she told him impatiently. "Ahh, just a second.." He replied, going over to check each hoof, when he was finished with the inspection he looked at Ana and nodded "gather up the tools and I'll show you where we keep them, then you can get to the injury ward." Staring at him.. In disbelief and then in defeat, Ana went and gathered up all the tools that had been used and bundled them in her arms. Grimacing further at her hand, following after Jakobi he showed her where the tools went and had her place them accordingly there before allowing her to scurry off back to the base camp and into the injury ward.

[Creeper]

Skills Observation: 2 Animal Husbandry: 4 Bodybuilding: 1 Interrogation: 1   Lores Horse Grooming: Keeps a Horse Clean and Safe Horse Grooming: Use of a Curry Comb Horse Grooming: Use of a Dandy Brush Horse Grooming: Use of a Soft Brush Horse Grooming: Use of a Hoof Pick Horse Grooming: Don't Forget the Mane Horse Grooming: How to Feed a Horse   Other Hand Wound: Horse Bite (10 Days for full healing, no scarring) Well done Ana! A nice simple training and work thread. I loved Ana's admiration for Jakobi's pectorals too