Closed [East of the Vineyards] Don't 'Fall' (Septimus)

[Xalet]

53th day of Fall, 512AV Xuphim and the Squire had two days to get set up with the small detachment of Knights that existed within Riverfall, and that was long enough to stay idle for Xuphim. This Knight stuff brought about a new responsibility. Never had Xuphim thought about what it was like to train a Squire, but now he understood why Knights tried so hard. There was something about producing a skillful Squire that made a person proud. It was like parenthood, except when the Squire was annoying enough you could send them away to a different Patron. "Alright Septimus, here's how it goes. You don't know jack about Knightly skills, so it's my duty to make you learn them and not suck at them once you do. I'm not exactly sure what the Void anyone was thinking when they made a War Horse a Squire, but if that jackass Xalet felt strong enough to steer you toward Knighthood, then the least I can do is see if you can manage to learn something without dying." Had Xuphim become like those hard-nosed instructors he had so many years ago? Not exactly. Instead his behavior had always been fairly abrasive. Even though he had toned down the closer he got with Xalet, he had a certain drive to exceed. Seeing just how hard everyone else worked in Riverfall, he could only ascertain that all that bullshyke he had been spouting over the years about his work ethic being part of his Akalak blood was actually true. "If you're a War Horse you gotta be fast, you gotta be strong, and you gotta..." he paused for a moment, his mind searching for what exactly made a good War Horse. He paced in front of the Kelvic, just as he imagined his own Patron would, "...be really freaking fast. And you gotta understand your rider. That's what I was going to say. See normally a horse just does what it's told. The rider squeezes one way, the horse moves that way. The rider pulls the reins, the horse stops. You're different because you got a brain up there that thinks for itself, and that can be a real problem if you and the rider are thinking two different things. First things first..." Xuphim was only wearing the clothing part of his uniform on this day. He had requested that Septimus not wear her issued armor as well. He was going to need her to be able to transform as required, and dealing with a set of armor was going to make that difficult. "...we need to get warmed up. So you and I are going for a quick run, then I've got to figure out how I'm going to ride you with no tack if need be, and you've got to figure out how to deal with three hundred pounds of Akalak on your back. Alright lets move!" he torqued his head in the direction they were planning on running, down the Kabrin road, still remaining close to Riverfall. Taking off at a good pace, Xuphim knew enough about running to perform decent technique. He utilized the energy in his body appropriately, and most importantly understood proper breathing, "If you learn to run in your Human form, you'll likewise run better in your horse form. Running is about breathing, proper form, and focus. Hey, Blondie Long Legs, you getting this?"

[Septimus]

With her armor left behind, the Kelvic had her wool shorts and light shirt on. The air was a bit warmer for her liking as the wool alone was causing her to sweat. Her high body temperature didn't help in any way and she wished she had her tail to swish and cool her off. But the thing was, she didn't. Septimus was still trying to adjust to the city and the fact that there were other large blue to purple hued men besides Xuphim and Xalet. Before she actually engaged in battle, she needed training and lots of it. Luckily, the Akalak was there when she found him and alas, here they both were. This had been her first go with Xalet's other half and it was almost entertaining. She had shrugged his insults right off her shoulder as she wasn't one to care about stuff like that. After all, why would a horse care? Listening to his little introduction of the day speech she sighed yet she dared not smirk. After all, he didn't have to do this and she felt as though it was an honor to even be able to get to train with one so skilled in so many things. She didn't disagree with any of it either as most of it was true. "Haha, I'll try not to." His idea of a War Horse was a damn well good one. Well, most of his points anyway. "Strong, fast- well really freaking fast. Got it. Oh, and understand your rider." Septimus made mental notes as he went along explaining. The horse couldn't help but slightly chuckle as the words "-you gotta brain up there-" left his mouth. The smile quickly faded to a much more serious face as it wasn't a joking matter and she needed to take it as so. "Seems easy enough. What's it to me?" Septimus definitely had eyes and definitely admired his muscle tone, but the warm up pace he took off on definitely shocked her somewhat. She was expecting a slow jog from the Knight but damn not a nice paced run. The Kelvic shrugged her shoulders then instantly stepped on it to catch up. She had a million thoughts racing through her head all at once. She had to admit, Riverfall and the surroundings outside were beautiful. Especially at fall time. It was probably her favorite season and she was training. It had to be the best scenario she had been in in a very long time. Pursuing her dreams further in her favorite season. Saving her energy, she stayed a few paces behind Xuphim. 'Blondie Long Legs, eh?' Septimus slightly shook her head then smiled "Gettin' it as fast as your spitting it out. Oh by the way, thanks for doing this. It means a lot to me." She figured he just needed to warm up to her. What better way than to kiss up a bit?

[Xalet]

What was that, not even the slightest bit of negative feedback? If Xuphim's trainer acted like he did, that Akalak would have been giving them an earfull by now. Of course that would probably mean additional time scrubbing floors or husking corn, but even in his short time being the dominant personality as a Squire, Xuphim had difficulty being told what to do when it came to training. Orders on a battle field were another thing, of course. "Yeah well...whatever. A Squire represents their Patron. Different Patrons want their Squires to represent different things. No one ever expected anything of me, so I got recognition for my Patron by being the strongest. Heh, when I think about it, it's almost laughable. A Kelvic Warhorse that wants to be a Knight. Guess you and me have more in common than I thought. That means you need the best, it's all about acknowledgement." Xuphim was careful to try and balance his breathes as they ran. Rounding a cut pathway, they followed a steep curve in the road in order to continue their circuit. His heavy legs fell loudly upon the ground, although he did his best to try and transition from his heels to his toes. "Keep your arms close to your body, push and pull them as you run, don't swing um. Conserves energy when you're on the move. Anyway, you'll need to start workin' out yur body. Ever other day at the minimum we'll get you moving weight around. Learning to swing a weapon and block with a shield is great, but you need to build muscle." The landscape around Riverfall was quite a bit different then that of Syliras. Even the wilderness around the great Castle City seemed somewhat tamed by the presence of so many men and women so close by. Riverfall seemed so much more...natural. Pure almost. The foliage seemed greener. The water looked clearer. Maybe it was just the Syliran's eyes playing tricks on him. Turning his head slightly he looked back at Septimus, feeling it necessary to comment, "And don't worry bout losin' yur figure. When a girl makes muscle it's different than when a guy does it. You eat like you eat, you drink like you drink, you just add in these exercises and you'll get toned, not freakish. Don't ask me why it works like that, Void if I know, I just know it does. Dunno how a Kelvic feels about their body, just know a girl cares sometimes. Alright that's far enough." Slowly Xuphim's pace slowed significantly until it was little more than a walk. Coming down from a run was an important step in building stamina, you couldn't simply stop cold, you had to 'cool down' as it was. "We're going to get some stretching in, then we'll be riding. Stretching is damn important, and every time you get the chance to do it before and after exercising, before combat, whatever, you need to take advantage. Got it? You're more animal than me, so you probably know that already. When a cat wakes up, cause we all know they sleep all the damn time, what does it do? It stretches. Big cats, little cats, don't matter. Those things are born predators, even if to some people they're just big piles of fluff and cuteness or whatever the shyke people want cats for now a days. Anyway, get some stretching in, then strip and get on with bein' a horse. We've got work to do.""

[Septimus]

After contemplating his words the Kelvic, trying to conserve energy, meekly said "So does that mean that other Patron's Squires can resemble other things? For example, since I guess you're my Patron I need to resemble strength and speed. But can Squires represent other things? Such as intelligence and such?" Septimus steadied herself as her gait became somewhat slower than need be and picked up the pace, all the while ensuring that she was doing all she could to conserve energy and save her endurance. She tried not to focus on running and instead on her surrounding analyzing every leaf that flew, every blade of grass that danced with the wind, and practically anything that moved to prevent her from thinking about becoming tired. Septimus recoiled her arms closer to her body, quickly rectifying her running technique as Xuphim had told her. She almost instantly noticed a difference as she felt less energy being leached. "How much do you think I'll be able to start with? Should I practice with both forms or just one?" The Kelvic was concerned because she wanted to do it right. She wanted all the details so she could do it step by step as good as she possibly could. She couldn't let Xuphim down nor Xalet and she wanted to be a fine example of a Squire. It would be the least for if it wasn't for the two she wouldn't be where she was. "I'm not sure about other Kelvics, but I simply see my human form as just a disguise. I'm not one too self conscious about either form, but I don't care about this figure as much as my true self so I wouldn't mind a bit of a change. As long as I can be fast, witty, and strong all the same I think that's all that matters." Septimus slowed a bit much like she would do when running in her true form then stopped a few yards behind Xuphim, taking a deep breath to help recover a bit then nodded at his orders "Yes, sir." Following orders, she stretched her legs, pulling each foot up to the front of her thighs then stretched her arms by doing several exercises. One of which she put her arm underneath the other then grasped her shoulder, the other which involved putting her arm behind her back and pulling her elbows. She turned her neck, getting a relaxing pop then twisted her back. Once she felt loose enough, she decided it was time to change forms. Kelvics didn't care for nudity so it didn't bother Septimus when she quickly took her clothes off. Septimus dropped the clothes, folded them neatly, then made sure she was within a decent radius so she wouldn't step on anything of harm. Within a flash of light, somewhat tanned flesh was replaced with jet black fur. Golden locks of hair was replaced with a large and shiny blanket in which covered her large and soft neck. Her hands and feet gone to take the place of her true hooves.

[Xalet]

Xuphim started his stretching by taking what some martial artists may have considered the 'horse stance'. This was, of course, somewhat ironic considering his present company. As his hips sat deeply between his bent knees he felt the pull of his muscles, the large clusters of fibers running up the inside of his legs, beginning to burn slightly. That burn was so familiar these days, so much so that the very idea that 'burning' was often a negative reaction of the body was lost to the big Akalak. Now, that burn simply meant his muscles were getting warm, just like they should be. Forearms sitting atop his thighs, just before the knees, he pushed outward allowing his body to dip just a bit deeper. When his legs were sufficiently relieved of the tension of running his palms came up to his knees, clamping down atop them. His head leaned forward as he washed the air from his lungs, flexing the lowest part of his back upward. When he breathed in his gut swelled, and the lower back followed suit. This was the stretch he had learned from his Patron of all people, one properly constructed to prepare his core and lumbar region for the trauma of a typical day of riding and 'physical education'. "Yeah sure...Squires can represent other stuff. Some Squires are smart, and some Squires are cunning. You gotta work for your strengths, and reduce your weaknesses. Sweet Priskil I sound like my fricken' Sergeant." With a gruff sigh, Xuphim finally leg his arms go slack and lifted his body up into a standing position. Rolling his shoulders a bit he continued, "I had to remember what I am, and you've got to remember what you are. You're a Kelvic horse, ain't nothing gonna change that. You 'an me were made to get in there and whip ass, that's gonna be our strength. And you know what? I don't mind it. Ain't matter how smart you are, when it's a blade looking down at your nose all them fancy plans often go out the window. The rest is simple. You're gonna start with as much as you can handle. When you move weight you only want to be able to do it 'bout eight to twelve times, any more and you're just working endurance. Any less and you're just working on size. We want you right in the middle. Maximum power and muscular endurance. You're always gonna work your body equally. You do something with one arm, you do it with the other arm, you do it with one leg, you do it with the other leg. If one arm can't do what the other can, just keep working both. I know how the body works, an' eventually the damn thing just equals out. Dunno why it happens, just know it does." Watching Septimus strip down was a mental mash-up of conflict. How exactly did Xuphim feel about watching this? Would he be making some lewd comment if it was just a normal girl? Of course he would. Kelvics were difficult though, they were animals, right? "Alright good. I had a crash course on riding bareback in the Order, so hopefully we can give it a shot and I won't end up breaking my neck. Now like I said, first we gotta get you used to my weight. I weigh half again as much as even a well built Human, that's where your muscle training is gonna come in. Don't move, here I come." ordered Xuphim, reaching up to grip a tuft of mane while he prepared to climb up onto Septimus' back. Typically shorter Squires had to use a mounting block, but Xuphim was lucky enough to have height and a decent amount of leg muscle on his side. Though there was a point of definite unsteadiness just as he reached the very top, Xuphim seemed to fall into a seated position before he ended up face down on the ground. "Yeah, no problem right? When I'm with you, you'll need to learn how to read my body movement and move accordingly. I recognize you can speak common, or rather understand it at this time, but in battle we ain't gonna have time for that crap. You might not even be able to hear me in a real combat, so you'll have to work on your other senses. Touch is one of them, but we've got to develop your battle instinct as well. When I lean into your mane here and roll my hips back, you'll feel my body weight shifting forward, that means you need to move forward, and if you're already moving, that means you need to take off with everything you've got. We ain't doing that yet cause I don't feel like eating dirt. When I sit back solidly with my weight low in your saddle bones here, that means you slow down, or if you're going slow you stop, get me? Just kinda...not your head or something." What a twisted way to learn to ride a horse, Xuphim thought. He had instances of teaching a fellow Squire now and again, but to import Knightly knowledge to a horse? Whatever, the world certainly wasn't getting more normal as time went on. "Alright, I'm gonna lean forward here, and that means we start off. Fricken slowly. Get you used to moving, and get me used to keeping my damn balance." the Akalak looked around him, taking into considering what area looked like the softest patch of grass to land in when things went bad. Not if, when. With that preparation in mind the Syliran felt his jaw clench slightly as he leaned his weight forward, one hand gripping the edge of the mane, but not pulling, the other hand in his lap where a set of reins would have been.

[Septimus]

Septimus was a bit uneasy as he explained how things were gonna go down. I mean dang, Septimus had never had 400 pounds put on her back and quite frankly she was nervous. The Kelvic had pulled over that amount but pulling and carrying were two separate things. She not only feared for herself but for Xuphim for what would he horse instincts be telling her to do? The Wildlands had taught her to run and buck and rear to try and throw anything that was on your back off. But now she had to put that aside and tell herself it was only Xuphim. The Tiaden War Horse's ears soon were flat against her head as Xuphim used her mane as a leverage point to reach her back. It was only natural for Septimus wasn't used to this at all. Her hindquarters moved to the right just slightly and anyone could tell that she was nervous. Her neck turned slightly to catch a glimpse of Xuphim for he looked just as uneasy as she was. Don't worry, I'm not gonna throw you. she thought but she knew that he couldn't hear her. She simply translated this with an easy snicker but only the Gods knew if he would be able to pick out what she meant. The weight upon her back caused her conscience to scream out at her to run full speed; to rear and buck and just lash out. However, there was that side of her that had come to relent suspicions and once Xuphim was perched upon her back for sometime she finally managed to silence that voice for it had come to trust him as well. Now that Septimus had made this much progress, she could focus every aspect of attention to his words for she felt as if those words were extremely important. She dreaded this being another crash course for her Patron so with that she swore to herself to not shy away at any movement, touch, or sound. With that being said, she recognized his words put into action as a small portion of his weight was slowly shifted off of her loins and deeper into her withers in which, like instructed, she had moved slowly forward, step by step. Luckily, the path in which they were on was almost perfectly flat so she would need not to go up or down any inclines. Her ears slowly slunk away from the pinned back and stressed position they were in, into a more subtle and calm state. Keep it up, Septimus. You're doing great. Just don't throw him off and I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Her easy and gentle pace made her think she provided a smooth and elegant gait. Hopefully, one that was smooth enough to go on a full out run and not throw someone off. If that wasn't the case, she was sure it could be worked on and would be worked on. Woah woah, wait a second, how do you expect me to know when you want me to turn or do a u-turn there, bud? the thought occurred as she examined the path that was gently turning and bending. Her mind was racing for he had only explained how to go forward and when to stop. How would she know how to turn? How would she know how to go in reverse? One of Septimus' several blind spots was on her back so she couldn't see Xuphim's current facial expression. It would've told her his judgement on her actions perfectly but she was sure she'd hear from him shortly. Septimus raised her head briefly then whipped her tail in confusion, still shortly walking. If she was this confused now, how badly perplexed would she be later when they were working with a trot then after some progression a full on canter? The hand holding onto her mane seemed to have grown a bit less tight. Good, we're not the only ones learning to deal with trust issues. But I can see where he's coming from if he had one of those dumbass crazies that he rode bareback. Septimus snorted out of amusement as she pictured that, all the while continuing on, nearing that turn in the path. Luckily, or she hoped, Xuphim couldn't tell she found the image amusing, him flying into the dirt. Bet you never heard the end of that.

[Xalet]

Xuphim and Septimus still appeared to be in one piece. That was about the best start to their training session the Knight could have hoped for. Beneath him he saw the ground starting to move slightly as it passed by. The rolling sensation of the creature beneath him reminded him of his days back in the crowded city of Syliras. It was in Xuphim's favor that he was already well trained in the art of riding, otherwise such an attempt as bareback riding would most likely have been far beyond even his lengthy reach. "Heh, not bad Squire. Don't relax too much though, there's a lot more to this. I'm a 'one thing at a time' kinda guy, so I don't like throwing too much crap at someone too quick, otherwise they just end up staring at me wondering what the Void I'm talkin' bout." Sitting up a bit straighter Xuphim took a moment to survey the immediate area to ensure that it was appropriate for a few different circular movements. "Right, so going straight ain't too bad on you. Turning works like this here. When I put pressure on your right side with my leg, you turn away from the pressure, so you go left. When I put pressure on the left side, you turn right. This ain't too difficult for you, right?" Of course Septimus wasn't the only one that had to remember key principals. Xuphim recalled the basics of riding. Keeping the toes pointed, putting his legs into the front groove behind the front legs of the horse, try to keep the calves from touching the horses side. "If I put pressure on with both legs, that means go faster. Unless you feel me starting to slip...then that probably means I'm just trying not to get myself killed. Whatever, anyway they say a horse can feel the movement of a man's head as it turns. Shyke if I know since I ain't a horse, but when we debrief you can let me know. Normally I'll turn my head in the direction I'm gonna be turning the horse, an' apparently a horse can feel this and will likewise understand the direction. In combat I'll probably be looking all over the damn place, but we'll work on that later. Alright let's do this. I ain't gonna say what way I want us to be turning, we gotta do it by feel." Xuphim explained, feeling comfortable so far given their levels of trust. They had to live with one another after all, but the Syliran still couldn't get out of his head what a freakish way the two were going about developing the whole 'trust' thing. After his somewhat lengthy turning description, Xuphim put the idea into practice. Seeking to go toward the right, Xuphim canted his head in that direction while applying pressure with his left leg. Now would be his best time to learn maintaining balance without the sweet reinforcement of a saddle, or the handy placement of some reins. He reminded himself to keep his weight under control. That big body of his would want to move away from the force of the direction of the turn, and so he had to be prepared for that sensation. This was where the trust would come in, if that preparation was met with Septimus turning in an improper direction 'getting caught off guard' would be the least of Xuphim's worries. He would most likely be making an abrupt date with the ground. If they could manage some level of success with turning right, he could attempt a left turn in response.

[Septimus]

And here it came; the turning part. Fortunately, he was one to explain things one step at a time and afterwards she was thankful for it because after the speech he had given, she probably would've been more lost than being blinded and dropped in the middle of a random forest in Kalea at night. Alright, so quick review Septimus, when he puts pressure on your left side you need to step away and try to escape that pressure by going right. When he puts pressure on your right side, turn towards the right to escape that pressure by going left. I guess it's somewhat like being pushed a bit. Oh and when pressures on both sides, faster. And when you're already going fast, run like hell. The Kelvic was still smoothly at a slow and gentle walk as Xuphim was talking. Every word he said Septimus took into great account and analyzed each one thoroughly to squeeze out every single little drop of information she could to get the intricate details to perform the actions as close to perfect as possible in her state of being. I have never heard such a thing, but let's give it a go! Septimus' eyes were positioned perfectly but her blidspot was her back. However, though she couldn't make out distinct features of his face, she could use her peripheral vision to see which direction his head was turning. In her human form, it was shortened and her vision was certainly limited. However, being her true self it was almost like panoramic view. So in that case, no she couldn't sense it but rather see it to an extent. He was looking right and soon the pressure on her left ride increased. Quickly, remember it's as though you were trying to escape it. Assessing the direction of his head it helped her determine how far he wanted her to turn. Being careful, the turn was a bit slow but fast enough to where Xuphim hopefully wouldn't yell at her for being too slow. Surely this small little turn couldn't throw the large and skilled Xuphim off her back, would it? Septimus tried it anyways and surely enough everything turned out to be fine. Was she this good? It had to be because of her being a Kelvic so she understood from both sides. After this turn, Septimus was soon heading straight again, all the while reviewing what Xuphim had just told her to make sure not to screw anything up. Her attention coming back to his positive feedback, she soon found that he was pleased with what she was doing and decided to keep it up. Slow and steady then fast and ready. You ain't doing so bad yourself, Xuphim. Just try not to make me run into anything while you're directing the ship, eh? It was awful and quite annoying that he couldn't understand her, but then again she was a horse. What else could she do? This could also be put to her advantage too though and after some consideration, her mind soon came to that conclusion. Septimus let out a relaxing deep breath that could be felt throughout her entire body. But this movement simply wasn't enough to cause any great disruption to the one on her back.

[Xalet]

"Not bad Squire, not bad." the low hum of Xuphim's voice commented into the relatively calm autumn air. Dealing with a Kelvic was easily more expedient than dealing with a true horse, it seemed. Years of riding abuse occurred early in Xuphim's career back in Syliras, and even before the nightmarish training he had to undergo to learn the basics of horsemanship, the dominant personality Xalet had a certain fear of horses. A fear of horses, how pathetic in Xuphim's mind. Of course he was oblivious that other such phobia's such as his own fear of heights or his aversion to water was just as compelling a reason to stay away from the source of the fear. "This is easily at my level, this is a lesson you need to learn when you train. When you're at your level, the next thing you gotta do is go above it. That's how you improve, that's how you see gains. That might mean you're gonna fail or take a knock here and there, but that's life. You gotta keep reaching if you want to keep setting the bar higher and higher. So here's what we're gonna do, I'm gonna give you the signal to get into a canter, and then we'll try all this at that pace. Assuming I can stay in one place." the pangs of anxiety existed even in the over-confident Xuphim, though his pride kept them from manifesting and thus becoming visible to those around him. The Knight fully intended to go beyond what his skill level was capable of this day, as that was the only true way to significantly alter his abilities. Squaring his jaw, the large man swallowed back some of the feelings of future regret he might be having. No pain, no gain. Gripping more harshly at the mane he was utilizing with a single hand, Xuphim put pressure with both of his thighs upon Septimus' sides while simultaneously rocking his pelvis backward. This arched his body to the front, bringing him closer to the Kelvic's neck and thus more compact upon her frame. As they moved into a canter, Xuphim started to attempt to send Septimus into a series of turning curves whilst speaking with her. Listening while simultaneously feeling the sensation of the rider was something she would have to learn. "You need to figure out what you want in life. I ain't talked with you much about it, but when you have something to fight for, you fight harder. Everyone works for the Order, that's a given, but there's more to it than that. Don't matter how narrow minded someone is, everyone's got something they want. You know, like dreams and that shyke. If you ain't got some, you need to find some, cause when you start failing those dreams replace sadness with something more useful. Even anger is more useful, cause it keeps you working." The words came with some unsteadiness, a result of the man attempting his best at keeping his body balanced and centered. Xuphim wasn't much of a philosopher, but he knew the difference between wallowing in depression, and channeling ferocity toward overcoming obstacles. Everyone had their version of faith, Xuphim just had more of it than the next guy, Priskil had seen to that.

[Septimus]

Damn it, don't kill me if you fall, would ya? The news that they were progressing so quickly after only after a small amount of time worried Septimus. What if he did fall? How would he react? Her adrenaline level soon spiked and anxiety kicked in full swing. So many questions entered her mind and she almost hesitated to stop walking, but obviously thought against it. Xuphim wanted to set the bar higher and higher and obviously quite faster but would this have a negative effect or somehow turn into the better option? Septimus opted for the better outcome, being optimistic all the same. She replied with a short and subtle snort of understanding, showing no visible signs of being nervous. However, she was nervous. As a matter of fact, her insides were churning like a woman making butter. Septimus instantly felt the hand that grasped her mane grow tighter. [i]He's nervous as well, Sept. The Kelvic could sense it, a taste of anxiety and fear? She wouldn't make it known to him that she could tell, just allow him to continue on with his pride. After all, why silence a bird from singing it's song? Septimus turned her head, looking at Xuphim in the eyes, then quickly but gently placed it back into it's proper location. She was trying to convey a message to the Akalak, something around the lines of Are you sure you wanna do this? Yet, the Akalak had already given the signal. Septimus felt some weight transition from her hindquarters area then closer to her shoulders as well as the pressure on both sides increase. This sent the Kelvic into a faster paced canter where her gait became less gentle or stable and more rocky and well unstable. As Xuphim began trying to speak to her, she realized something important but all the while managed to still listen and be alert for any moves or motions her rider made. He's trying to throw you off course, just listen and respect his words as they actually sound less rough and coarse than usual. And feel for any of those pesky curves he's throwing in at you. As Septimus felt the pressure on her sides change, she went into the opposite direction of the pressure. As Xuphim put her into a large series of turns, Septimus followed each direction but it had to be putting a centripetal force on his right. Please, Zulrav! Do not let him fall! Septimus snickered once, her ears flicking everywhere as she tried to pay attention to him. Septimus tried to feel of any sign of him falling off. The Kelvic would also, if he did indeed fall, try to feel for the direction so she could whip around and not trample him. You are far different from any normal horse, Septimus. That could be a good thing, or a bad thing. But after she got to thinking about his words, what were her goals? She had met her dreams. She had become a war horse and was training for the battle soon approaching. What came next? I tell you what's next, Septimus. You're gonna be the fastest, strongest, and toughest damn horse in Mizahar, understood? You're gonna go through the toughest training, you're gonna become a knight, and then your gonna serve your patron damn well to the best of your abilities. Understood?!?!