Closed New Kid On the Block (Nate)

[Arundel]

He was heavier than he looked, but between the two of them they managed to get him up onto the horse's back. For a moment, everything seemed alright. He sat up straight and despite his obvious unease, had made it up. But in a heartbeat, something went a little wrong. He started to slip over the other side like a sack of flour. Arundel tried to grab at his shirt, clutching onto his sleeve desperately to keep him upright. "Careful!" It was no use though, and he tumbled to the ground on the other side. The Seme twisted her head around to look at him laying on the ground, and if a horse could look confused, she nailed it. After all, a rider falling off wasn't something she was used to - and so easily at that. Not everyone could be naturals at being on a horse like the Drykas were, though.

Arundel leaned down and watched from under the mare's dark belly as Nathan pulled himself off the ground. When he came back around to her side, she stood to meet him. The look on his face put a smile on hers, and the way he glared at the horse like it was her fault made it impossible not to laugh. The sound bubbled out of her before she could stop, but quickly enough she bottled it back down and pursed her lips, trying to look apologetic. It was hard to look sorry when a smile threatened at the corners of her mouth, and even harder not to laugh more seeing how the yvas had managed to rip his shirt off. Though she tried not to look, her eyes wandered across his bare skin as he moved to slip the shirt back on. The scars caught her attention for a moment, but they were something she was used to seeing. The Drykas lived a dangerous life out in the Sea, and it was uncommon for one to go through the years without being marked by its hardship in some way.

How the scars got there - clearly claw marks of a big cat - were a bit of a curiosity to her. Did they have lions in Sylira? Arundel had seen scars caused by nightlions before, and his seemed similar, only smaller. Perhaps one day she would learn, because she didn't dare inquire right now. When he was dressed once more, she smiled at him and shook her head. "Need handles. You learning. New to horse, yes? Help balance. Hold them. I show. Watch." Juniper grazed a few yards away, fully tacked and ready to go. Arundel crossed the short distance to her mare and patted her shoulder, getting the Seme's attention. When her head was up, the Drykas grabbed a fistful of mane and swung up onto her back. With her legs clamped around Juniper's broad sides, she managed to wiggle up into place behind the slope of her withers. Then, with exaggerated, emphasis, she grabbed the handles on her yvas and shook them.

"These. You need these. Understand? Easy. Now we try again." Swinging her right leg back over Juniper's head, she slid down the mare's side and landed in the trampled grass. Back by Nathan's side, she clasped her hands together once more to make a step for him. "Up," she coaxed confidently. "Hands on handles. Grip with thighs."

[Nathaniel Deveraux]

Lovely. Not only had he fallen off the horse, but Arundel was clearly laughing at him. Nate wasn't sure whether to fume or to laugh with her. Or both, somehow. It was harder than it looked, sitting on that strange-looking saddle. It looked nothing like the saddles he'd seen in Syliras. Then again, he'd never really gotten to within a few hundred feet of a mounted Knight, so he never really did get a very good look at a Syliran saddle but he was quite sure they looked nothing like the oddly shaped 'Yvas' the Drykas used.

There was a moment, just a moment, when Nate was rather reminded of his time with his sisters. Of a happier time, when they'd both laugh at him and with him as he failed at some task or another and they'd all just have a good chuckle over it, Kat making sarcastic little jokes and Lea just rolling her eyes. Arundel had, at least, tried to grab his sleeve to keep him upright, calling out a warning before he'd fallen, but it was not enough.

Regardless, what was done was done. As Nate slipped his shirt back on he grunted a bit, choosing not to acknowledge Arundel's knowing grin or her barely suppressed mirth. Maybe if he pretended not to notice how her laughter threatened to burst forth, he could retain at least some of his tattered dignity. He hadn't noticed that she had seen his scars; he was more focused on the horse and the strange Yvas on it. How was someone supposed to stay upright on that thing? Especially when the animal was moving?

Arundel implied the handles helped to balance. Well... OK he hadn't even noticed the handles before, focusing more on the fact that he could feel himself slipping. In point of fact, if he remembered correctly, he might have flailed his arms like a madman, swinging them in a vain attempt to remain upright. Despite a valiant effort, he could not fight down the red from tinging his cheeks. He'd really rather they just forgot this whole entire incident. Pretend it never happened. Him? Falling off a horse?! Nah!

But she insisted on showing him, getting onto her own horse by patting the shoulder, then grabbing the man and swinging up with one smooth motion. She mounted the horse like it was something she did everyday. Which now that he thought about it, she probably did. It looked so simple, so easy when she did it. And as she shifted her position she exaggerated the motion of seizing the handles on the Yvas for Nate's benefit. Right, as though it was that simple.

Well, apparently Arundel wanted to try again. Nate set his lips in a grim line and approached her, placing his left foot into the cup of her hands and let her push him up and onto the horse, twisting around as he did so in order to land with the right leg swung over the other side. He was uncomfortable up here; it felt strange in nearly every way and he wasn't sure what to do. At least, this time he felt slightly more balanced and didn't seem to be in danger of tipping over or falling off, at least not too much.

But that was not to say he was necessarily comfortable up here. He kept wiggling his buttocks on the Yvas, trying to find a spot where he didn't feel like he was going to slip and fall the moment the mare moved beneath him. As Arundel had suggested he gripped the handles with his hands, but he suspected they were for balancing during tricky terrain.

He'd seen a few of the Drykas ride and they did not grip those handles all the time. So in other words, he was supposed to mainly grip with his thighs. But he didn't know how exactly to do that, or how tightly he was supposed to grip. And besides, wouldn't that hurt the horse? Then again, Nate was no expert on horsemanship.

"OK," he announced, voice a bit strained as he worked to keep himself on the Yvas. "Now what?"

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