Solo A Horse to Groom

[Aran]

5th of Fall 515 A.V

Morning porridge settled in her stomach easily. The last spoonful was slurped hurriedly. Passing the empty bowl to Orina, she inclined her head to display her gratitude.

“Auntie, I’ll be back in two bells.” Orina, the second wife of Bram Cloudspinner, Ankhal of the Cloudspinner pavilion just waved her off. “Be well and take your time. I have much work without you being underfoot here.”

The Cloudspinners had pitched theirs tents near the edge of Endrykas; being much better and spacious for the horses they kept. Her first day at The Guided Horse and Aran did not want to be late even if tented city’s stables were not too far off. Syna had past the horizon, bathing the tented city in her bright reddish light, but she had not the time to idly enjoy her morning. There were horses that needed tending.

Bypassing the pavilion, she hurried her pace to the tethering post that was beside the purple pavilion.

"Late already, Cloudspinner?"asked Perrin Hoofsplitter, a short red-haired Drykas man in the midst of grooming a dun-colored mare. A practiced groomer his eyes remained on the horse he was steadily grooming with the brush, yet the teasing grin remained on his face. From which, Aran knew he was not seriously needling her.

"I'm hardly late, Syna has not been in the sky for long, so I'm right on time," she retorted matter of fact. One had to be firm with Perrin, otherwise, he could run circles around them. "Right on time to start grooming," he shrugged his shoulders. Looking up from the hoof in hands, he winked at her pointing to the grey mare tethered a few poles down.

"Hurry your feet, Kalina does not like to be kept waiting for her morning grooming, you should know that."

She did know, and she swallowed the glib reply which was on the tip of her tongue. Another grooming kit lay near Perrin's own open one, and she hefted it up to her waist and made her way towards Kalina--the grey old mare--patiently grazing on grass. Keeping her eye on the mare, she walked slowly taking care not to startle the old lady at all. Carefully, she set the kit in her hands down onto the grass-covered ground a bit away from the mare's side and dug the hoof pick from it, before clasping tightly in her left hand.

From what Perrin had spoken about yesterday, Kalina was a docile and old mare, but it did not hurt to be careful enough around a stranger--good advice for both humans and horses. Aran walked slowly towards the grey mare, keeping the horse who shook her head and went back to grazing contently within her sights.

Rubbing the mare's nose in a slow circular motion, Aran moved up her nose, stopping right before her ears. "Time to get your hoofs checked," she calmly stated. Quickly, she kept stroking the mare's shoulder before moving down towards her leg.