Time to Ride (Arianne)

[Marin]

11th Summer, 512 Time to Ride OOC : I chose the 11th of summer... I hope that dosnt conflict. I can change it if it does... Although your 2 posts dont seem to say anything abou that... Marin wandered when he needed to think. The dormitories were too loud, students for the summer always talking, yelling, or finding some way of being loud. Right now, Marin needed to think. Sadly he didn’t feel like venturing out of the city, so his walks were contained by the walls of the shops and residences of Zeltiva. He followed a random pattern through the streets, turning and winding along the stone paths. Marin envisioned himself among the high reaching trees; shops like the trees and the streets like the crawling forest floor. The people like the creatures of the forest. Some small, some large... Then there were the horses... What were they? I wonder what it would be like to ride a horse... So tall... So majestic, manes blowing in the wind... and it looked so easy! Hmm... Why were there so many horses anyway? “The stables...” Marin said this aloud in such a way any onlooker would have thought him crazy. He was intrigued by the horses in his new way of thought, and therefore decided to take a look at the variety in the stables.

[Arianne]

The mid-morning sun beat down over the city, its rays lending the summer traditional warmth. It rarely got too hot in Zeltiva, which suited Arianne just fine. The young woman had spent the morning feeding the horses of the Narvaen Stables, moving from stall to stall with surprising speed given the work each horse needed. She was good at her job; Arianne had lived at the complex for years and was proud to say she knew each horses individual names and personalities. She was moving through the stalls that held horses for breeding, patting a nose here or there as she went. A few of them were to be turned out for the day so she made her way to the back to retrieve the first horse. He was one of their most prized Firemane’s; a glossy black coated stallion, his golden mane long and flowing. She roped him up and proceeded to lead him through the complex and outside. The sun momentarily blinded her as it hit her face, but a couple of blinks later, and she was moving on again. It was then that she noticed someone wandering nearby. She paused, the horse stopping next to her, and called out. “Hello! Are you looking for a horse?"

[Marin]

The sun illuminated the stables, a young woman appearing from the gate, her brown hair almost red in the Zeltivian sun. She was leading a large black horse, smiling. The horse clopped its way behind her as she said “Hello! Are you looking for a horse?" “Ah! Hello!” Marin smiled cheerfully. “I am in fact, wishing to look at horses... A strange thought came to my mind just a chime ago...”

[Arianne]

Arianne stepped closer to the stables visitor. As she neared she could see that he was fairly tall, with brown hair falling about his face. He seemed to be close to her own age, perhaps slightly older. She wondered briefly what he would need a horse for. Perhaps he was a visiting traveller who had lost his own steed along the way? “Well then, you're definitely in the right place! We have horses for almost everyone." He would probably want a horse upwards of 15 hands, though she would need to ask him a few things before she could determine the breed. Arianne stopped her pondering when she realised he was still speaking, and she managed to pick up the last of his words. “A strange thought to do with horses? May I ask what it was?" She gave the man a polite smile, while the horse by her side gently nudged at her shoulder.

[Marin]

Marin watched as she stepped closer. The black horse followed. She examined him quickly looking up and down. Marin could smell the leather and sweat on the horse, and a very faint flowery smell. Possibly coming from her hair? “Well then, you're definitely in the right place! We have horses for almost everyone." “Yes! Naturally stables have horses...” Marin gave her a smirk. He liked being silly sometimes, reminding him of the days when he would joke with his mother. Ohh... Those days... “A strange thought to do with horses? May I ask what it was?" Marin looked up at her question. “Oh... You could ask! But my response might seem odd. I have quite the imagination... Let us go look first...”

[Arianne]

Arianne watched the man, polite curiosity on her face in the form of a light smile. The corners of her mouth twitched at his sarcastic response, pulling up briefly into a grin to show him that his humour was not lost on her. She paused, and then nodded. “I’m sure I have heard stranger things.” She smiled again. “But as you wish. Let me take care of this boy first.” She indicated the black stallion still nudging at her shoulder. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She then proceeded to lead the horse over to a nearby field, untying him from his leading rope before shutting the gate behind him. She headed back over to the man, throwing the rope round her own neck as she went to save carrying it. Upon reaching the man again, she stuck her hand out for him to shake. “My name is Arianne, by the way.” She smiled. “Follow me to the stable.” She turned on her heel and began to walk in the direction of the sales block, making a mental list of the horses he may like to see. When the pair arrived, she first stopped outside the door of a Zavian mare and beckoned the horse over. It stuck its head over the door and snuffed at Arianne’s hand. “This is Talia. She’s a Zavian so she can do pretty much anything you need her too. She’s about the right size for you too.” She smiled at the man. “How much riding experience do you have? Talia’s mild, so she shouldn’t give you any problems anyway.”

[Marin]

Marin watched as she smiled. Oh good! Someone who actually gets sarcasm! She left, and brought the horse with her, letting it into a field near the stables. Marin watched as the horse entered, suddenly free among the grassy enclosure. She came back, rope about her neck and hand outstretched. “My name is Arianne, by the way.” She smiled. “Follow me to the stable.” Marin shook her hand “And I Marin.” Marin followed Arianne to the stables, and upon entering the dark building his eyes grew dim. He let them adjust as Arianne summoned a Zavian horse over. “Talia... Hmm...” Marin engaged in thought again. What could they be! If I were a creature.... Humans? They're tall... And majestic! “How much riding experience do you have? Talia’s mild, so she shouldn’t give you any problems anyway.” Arianne's voice brought him back from his alternative reality. “Riding experience?” Marin was surprised. It seemed like something that one would be able to... just do! “It seems I have never ridden a horse before... Is it not as easy as it looks to be?”

[Arianne]

Arriane watched the man...Marin, waiting on his reply. One of her brows flickered ever so slightly, just hinting at the surprise she felt. “Well, I think it depends on the person trying to ride. Some people find it easy, others have said that it's very difficult.” She looked at Marin with curiosity. He seemed to get lost in thought a lot, much more than any other person she had met. She gave Talia's nose another pat. "Would you like to have a go? I promise that Talia is a gentle horse, she'll make sure that you're safe." Arianne gave him another smile. If he agreed to have a practice, she would unwind the rope from her neck and proceed to tie the mare up outside the stall. She would tell Marin to give Talia a gentle pat on the nose, to get to know the horse while she tacked the mare up. With the tacking done, Arianne would lead both Marin and the horse outside, to one of the fields not currently occupied. "How much do you know about horses?"

[Marin]

Marin watched Arriane explain. Oh no... Now I've done it... What an embarrassing way to meet someone... Arriane gave Talia's nose a pat; the pat was experienced, almost like a handshake between good business partners. "Would you like to have a go? I promise that Talia is a gentle horse, she'll make sure that you're safe." “Hmm...” Marin thought about this. It would be an interesting experience... I'm sure I could use this somewhere... Why not? “Sure! Why not?” Marin said this, just as he remembered about the flux practice he had done earlier this week. Oh no!! I surly wont be able to ride! My legs! “About horses? Well... My father could ride a horse.... He never owned one... My mother could ride...” Marin was once again lost in thought, his mother often brought about a round of retrospect.

[Arianne]

Arianne listened as he described his experience with horses. It was short and didn't particularly give any information. She took this to mean that he had never been on a horse himself. She pulled Talia up short, stopping her so that she could get Marin on. He seemed to have trailed off into thought again, and Arianne spoke to bring him back to the present. "Lets get you up on Talia and we'll see what you can do okay?" She gave him a friendly smile, motioning for him to come around the side of the mare. "Reach up and hold onto the saddle with your hands. I'm going to give you a leg up, but you'll still need to help. Jump off the ground with your other leg and pull yourself with your hands. Swing your other leg over and then you'll be on. Got it?" She hoped that Marin had understood her description, and waited for him to move into place. "I'm going to hold your foot and your knee, is that alright?" Arianne knew from past experience that some people didn't like to touched, preferring to try and jump up themselves. If Marin agreed, she would help him up onto the horse.