10th Bell - 17th Day of Spring, 517AV - Outside Endrykas, East of Riverfall
One thing he knew was that the bloody pony wouldn't have been up to it. He didn't think its legs were long enough for a proper gallop, for one, and for another, he didn't even have a saddle or reins, let alone stirrups. He'd looked like a clown for half the season, wobbling along on a steed too small for his lanky frame, hanging on by a scraggly mane whenever he wanted to go at more than a trot.
Not so with Yeh Bugger, though. Of all the purchases he'd made through the Winter, Konrad enjoyed him the most.
"C'mon, c'mon, boy!"
He squeezed his legs around the heaving flanks of the horse and grunted the words into the horse's ear, almost bent double in the saddle as the gelding pounded through the grass. He kicked his legs into them a moment later, driving the point home, and Bugger snorted like a straining runner and finally, impossibly, rode even faster.
The wind rushed so fast that Konrad thought he was flying, falling, horizon the only steady thing in his vision. Everything else was a blur, roaring past him with the wind, head bare and hat stashed in a saddle bag.
He'd made that mistake the first day he'd gone a proper speed, and barely found it afterwards. Not about to make that bloody mistake again...
A cloud of screeching birds burst up from cover, rider and man pounding through them with naught but echoing hooves and Konrad's hoarse bark of laughter. Laughter. From him. He didn't think merely riding some sack of flesh and hooves could elicit that from him... but this fast, it was much more than just transport.
"A'right, boy... this way..."
Something else he'd learned from Sedon: how to turn. Of course, how to stop had been second on the list, but anything a Drykas had to teach about horses was worth listening to. Konrad fought to calm himself a little, squeezing with his right leg but easing off his left... pulling the reins in his left hands more on that side... and grinning as the horse slowly started to turn. Slowly because when you're at a gallop, and you're that big, Konrad guessed everything happened pretty slowly.
Not for the Drykas, though.
There were others out in the Sea of Grass that day, beyond the temporary borders of Endrykas. He could see the smudge of tents and canopies under the cloudless sky, and around it a multitude of black dots racing through the grass. Most weren't at a gallop... or they were, but it was controlled, turns and halts coming within the space of feet, not hundreds of them like Konrad was capable of. Konrad watched them whenever Bugger slowed to a trot, marveling with more than a little envy at the way man and horse moved so fluidly.
Then there were the Striders and their bondsmen. They were a whole other level of grace, and even a bastard like Konrad could see it.
"Good enough fer me, though, mate," he rasped in the horse's ear. "A'right, les'go again!"
Another gentle dig in the side and off they went, rocketing and careening and Konrad's feet were firmly in the saddle and his arse was getting a beating from bouncing in the saddle. He squeezed tighter to try and lessen that but for now, he just grunted and bore it.
Until he saw one of those black dots became a blob, then a mounted figure, coming closer. He sat up straight and pulled back the reins, not a yank as Sedon had warned him about, but as he straightened, so he pulled... and with some reluctance, Bugger started to slow...
The world came back into focus. He could see blades of swaying grass, not just a great yellow and brown and gren blur around him. Things trotted and slunk and whistled through it, but strayed nowhere near the giants. Konrad kept pulling, "whoa-whoa-whoa" tumbling from his lips until Bugger had come to a stop, panting and shaking his sweaty head.
The rider squinted and raised a hand against Syna, trying to figure out who... and then he cracked a wry smile, hand half-lowering to give a lazy Pavi hand sign that almost managed to "sound" sardonic.
Not bad for a novice.
"Greetings" he signed to the familiar blonde on her pretty horse, then followed it up with a Common, "Youse again, eh?"
Not so with Yeh Bugger, though. Of all the purchases he'd made through the Winter, Konrad enjoyed him the most.
"C'mon, c'mon, boy!"
He squeezed his legs around the heaving flanks of the horse and grunted the words into the horse's ear, almost bent double in the saddle as the gelding pounded through the grass. He kicked his legs into them a moment later, driving the point home, and Bugger snorted like a straining runner and finally, impossibly, rode even faster.
The wind rushed so fast that Konrad thought he was flying, falling, horizon the only steady thing in his vision. Everything else was a blur, roaring past him with the wind, head bare and hat stashed in a saddle bag.
He'd made that mistake the first day he'd gone a proper speed, and barely found it afterwards. Not about to make that bloody mistake again...
A cloud of screeching birds burst up from cover, rider and man pounding through them with naught but echoing hooves and Konrad's hoarse bark of laughter. Laughter. From him. He didn't think merely riding some sack of flesh and hooves could elicit that from him... but this fast, it was much more than just transport.
"A'right, boy... this way..."
Something else he'd learned from Sedon: how to turn. Of course, how to stop had been second on the list, but anything a Drykas had to teach about horses was worth listening to. Konrad fought to calm himself a little, squeezing with his right leg but easing off his left... pulling the reins in his left hands more on that side... and grinning as the horse slowly started to turn. Slowly because when you're at a gallop, and you're that big, Konrad guessed everything happened pretty slowly.
Not for the Drykas, though.
There were others out in the Sea of Grass that day, beyond the temporary borders of Endrykas. He could see the smudge of tents and canopies under the cloudless sky, and around it a multitude of black dots racing through the grass. Most weren't at a gallop... or they were, but it was controlled, turns and halts coming within the space of feet, not hundreds of them like Konrad was capable of. Konrad watched them whenever Bugger slowed to a trot, marveling with more than a little envy at the way man and horse moved so fluidly.
Then there were the Striders and their bondsmen. They were a whole other level of grace, and even a bastard like Konrad could see it.
"Good enough fer me, though, mate," he rasped in the horse's ear. "A'right, les'go again!"
Another gentle dig in the side and off they went, rocketing and careening and Konrad's feet were firmly in the saddle and his arse was getting a beating from bouncing in the saddle. He squeezed tighter to try and lessen that but for now, he just grunted and bore it.
Until he saw one of those black dots became a blob, then a mounted figure, coming closer. He sat up straight and pulled back the reins, not a yank as Sedon had warned him about, but as he straightened, so he pulled... and with some reluctance, Bugger started to slow...
The world came back into focus. He could see blades of swaying grass, not just a great yellow and brown and gren blur around him. Things trotted and slunk and whistled through it, but strayed nowhere near the giants. Konrad kept pulling, "whoa-whoa-whoa" tumbling from his lips until Bugger had come to a stop, panting and shaking his sweaty head.
The rider squinted and raised a hand against Syna, trying to figure out who... and then he cracked a wry smile, hand half-lowering to give a lazy Pavi hand sign that almost managed to "sound" sardonic.
Not bad for a novice.
"Greetings" he signed to the familiar blonde on her pretty horse, then followed it up with a Common, "Youse again, eh?"
