[Windmount Stables] You Again (Weyliss)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam liked to think he had a fair idea of how to turn a coin, but he had made a little selling the roots he'd harvested along with Weyliss so he figured it wouldn't hurt to know a few more ways. He whistled and Horse came trotting up, his reins dangling in front of him. The knot he had tied to secure him to the hitching post had been purposefully useless so that Horse could get away if need be or, as he had, come at Sam's signal.

"You just said you know how to ride a horse," he said, smiling in the direction of a smirk. "Show me what you can do."

[Weyliss]

Weyliss paused, looking up at the blue sky, and eyeing the clouds for a long moment. Tensing his muscles, the young man suddenly grabbed the reigns. Before the horse could so much as let out a sound of protest, the man had put his left foot into the stirrup. His arm shot up, latching onto the wither. Then he simultaneously stood with his left leg, while whipping the right over the back. It took another second for the man to secure his other foot, and settle into the saddle. Both hands remained at the front of the horse, gathering the reigns as the man surveyed the area. The 'pen' was quite large, and could easily accommodate the horses' desire to run. Grinning at nobody in particular the young man squeezed his legs into the side of the horse.

For its part, the horse simply looked around. It was unamused. At least until its frustrated rider lightly kicked at its left side. Taking a step forward, the animal flared its nostrils and snorted, but continued at a small trot. For a long moment the horse continued to do so. After several repeated light kicks, Weyliss, leaned in, and squeezed his legs together. Instead of pulling the reigns in whatever direction, Weyliss sort of leaned, and squeezed with his opposite leg, indicating in which direction the animal should turn. For its part, the horse turned, and then trotted forward, moving closer to Sam. Pulling up on the reigns, the young man clicked his tongue, and gave Sam a chagrined look.

"See what I mean? What if I was avoiding arrows, or even worse... females? He doesn't seem to want to move when I say. So, I know the basics, but not how to control him."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

(OOC: I'm basing the gender off of an earlier post in this thread, so if it's a stallion or gelding, just let me know and I'll fix this.)

"Well," Sam said, scratching his head, "for starters, you've got to... you know, communicate with her."

He gave Horse a verbal command in Pavi, just to stay, which he did. He also started cropping the grass at his hooves. Sam stepped up to the mare Weyliss was annoying and cooed to her in Pavi as well, making her ears perk forward with surprise, and then soothing her irritation a bit.

Once up close, he reached out his fist so she could smell him, then touched her. A gentle pat here, a scratch there, until she was calm and docile.

"Just think about it like if someone were riding you... They could be gentle and considerate or treat you badly... Horses have personalities too. It can be a lot like a marriage, like you said earlier," he added, grinning. "But marriages can be good or bad, but you can change the relationship by changing how you behave. The mare will respond."

[Weyliss]

Weyliss blinked.

"I feed her, I shelter her, and I give her the run of the lands. What else could a horse possibly need? She lives better then me!"

Grumbling to nobody in particular, the young man looked to the sky for inspiration.

"I don't get it."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Remember what I said about horses and people being herd animals?" he said. "I mean, I know there are exceptions... lone wolf sort of thing, but horses and people need contact and affection."

He whispered sweet nothings in Pavi to the mare and held her face in his hands, rubbing and scratching, finally resting his forehead against hers as they both derived comfort from the closeness.

"They like when you talk to them," he murmured, "and make them feel like part of something, even if it's a herd of two."

[Weyliss]

As he watched the other man speak to the animal, Weyliss couldn't help but think of the phrase the other man had used.

Lone Wolf.

He'd never really seen himself in that light. Yet now, that Sam had mentioned it...

Weyliss looked down.

"A herd of two."

It wasn't a question so much as a statement. The man simply gave the horses' neck a friendly pat. Then he sort of leaned forward, around the side of the animal, trying his best to look it in the eye. In response she sort of looked back with a blank look at her rider.

"Which means that you-"

Weyliss suddenly paused, giving Sam a blink.

but horses and people need contact and affection.

He really wasn't sure whether to roll his eyes or praise the other man.

Giving a sort of uneasy smile, the warrior sat back up and looked to Sam.

"So, how does the horse put up with being ridden constantly? If somebody rode me..."

He honestly wasn't sure how to finish that with a non-sexual metaphor.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"I know it sounds funny," he said, smiling at Weyliss and his attempt to develop instant rapport with the mare based on a moment of eye contact. "I'm not saying you have to make friends with her, but it's the easiest way to get her to work with you. They're strong enough that a rider doesn't bother them; they just have to get used to it. Rewards help. Like lumps of sugar and stuff."

He even smiled at the sexual joke whose punchline was the silence that followed.

"Which means that I what?"

[Weyliss]

Weyliss gave the other man a ludicrous look.

"Sugar? Nobody gives me sugar cubes...and I meant to say, that you've developed your horse-side-manner by being with.. er... Horse... for a long time, but what did you do to start out?"

It was like he was dating! Spoil her, and MAYBE, if you are REALLY good, get something in return.

"The things I do for the ladies..."

Sighing to nobody in particular, the man eyed his companion as the latter looked at him. Suddenly something dawned on Weyliss.

"What the hell where you saying to my horse? Are you whispering sweet nothings to my 300 golden miza'd animal?"

The warrior leaned forward, squinting at Sam.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam wasn't quite sure if Weyliss was trying to be funny or was really astonished by his view of the care and feeding of horses.

"I can't help it if she likes me better," he said smugly, trying to gauge whether or not three hundred golden mizas had been a fair price for this animal. "Anyway, I could train her if you want. Or as best I can. She's already an adult, so that's a bit more difficult, but not impossible to do."

[Weyliss]

Weyliss blinked, eyeing the other man. He was fairly certain Sam had misunderstood him. Then again, a lot of people misunderstood him.

"Erm.."


Shaking his head a bit, the man turned back to Sam.

"If you train her, won't she be apart of your herd? I mean, will she be receptive to me if I don't do it myself? Maybe I should do that."

Blinking, Weyliss looked around. The small clearing where they all stood, had a tiny path leading off to a nearby road, and further down to a small patch of forest.

"Why not go for a ride?"

Grinning, at the other man, Weyliss clicked his tongue, and squeezed his legs against the horses' sides. Then, he was off at a slow trot.