Alexia - 1999-6-15
lexa stared blankly after Keleos as she disappeared. Slowly, the warning filtered through to her understand and she shivered. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But what other ideas were there? She looked at Swift, considering her reactions to Keleos. The mare had seemed to like her owner very well, and did not seem afraid of her. Perhaps the scars had been from an accident, or from a former master. That seemed to suit the situation better. After all, would a woman who was cruel to her own horse run into a burning stable to save the animals? So there was just that comment about being hunted. That stuck a chord in her that scared her deeply. It was too like that dark thing that she had feared might be following her from the manor. But Keleos had meant the comment in jest, and it was only fair to expect someone to be annoyed if you stole their horse, which she wasn't going to do now that she had reasoned out that Swift was with a good owner. Now the question was whether to disappear before the other returned, or to stay. She pressed back against the wall behind her fearfully as the muttering, from the people who had be woken to combat the blaze, began to grow. *Quiet water. running way, crystal clear. the shady tree where the white bluebells grew in the spring.* Focusing on the images, she tried to remain calm as she waited for the other woman to return.
Abby - 1999-6-15
"orby"--whose true name was *not* Corby--would have liked, very dearly, to growl, but there were some things one couldn't do in a horse's form and that was one of them. He settled for snorting softly and regarding the young woman.
(Does she really think I'll be swayed by promises of carrots? I suppose she does. Silly girl. If I were the common animal she thinks I am, I wouldn't understand her anyhow, so why does she bother?)
After a brief pause for further thought, though, he regarded her with new speculation. (This may work to my advantage. She seems rather naive and perhaps overly kind... I do believe I could reveal myself to her without fear of becoming a faire attraction. And even if she does try to keep me in bondage, I daresay she couldn't hold me if I truly tried to win free. I'll lose her an exorbitant amount of silver, but it serves her right for taking such a monumental chance on an unrideable horse.)
With a truly equine sigh, he lowered his head in a gesture of submission. (All right, girl. You're taking a chance on me; I'll take a chance on you. I just hope I don't come to regret it.)
Sorana - 1999-6-15
mber took the lowering of Corby's head as a sign of acquiescence and patted him on the neck.
"I'm so glad that you've decided to come with me. I was right, you are the perfect horse." Amber gave Corby a quick hug. "Now, if you'll just follow me, we can get you settled down in your new stable."
At the stableyard, Amber stopped and pointed out a small, well-built travelling wagon to her new horse.
"You see that? You'll be pulling that wagon in a couple of days. We'll be heading up to Torrigan. I'll take you to visit the Circle of Stone with me...Have you heard of the Circle of Stone? Probably not. Well it's _the_ most famous ruin up in Torrigan; mostly because it has religious signifigance.
"Anyway, right over here...." Amber led Corby around a corner. "Is your new stall." She let him into one of the larger loose boxes in the place. Amber hoped that Corby would see that the stall was already well stocked with fresh hay and grain while she went to fill his water bucket and take his halter off.
"Wait here please Corby," she said after she'd finished. "I have something I want to show you." She carefully latched the door before going into her wagon and retrieving a particular item.
"I'm back!" Amber announced as she unlatched the stall door so she could join Corby. "Here's what I wanted to show you." She displayed a beautiful beaded halter. "What do you think? I bought the halter itself from Tallagh, but the design's all mine."
Abby - 1999-6-16
(Things could,) he reflected, (be worse. If she treats a horse--however superficially--as an intelligent being, I think I can chance telling her what I really am.)
"I'm back!" Amber announced as she unlatched the stall door so she could join Corby. "Here's what I wanted to show you." She displayed a beautiful beaded halter. "What do you think? I bought the halter itself from Tallagh, but the design's all mine."
He might have smirked, but a horse's mouth really wasn't constructed for that sort of thing. Highly amused, he gave the halter an experimental nudge with his muzzle, then gave the soft nickering sound that was his best approximation of a chuckle.
"Very attractive," he said. "You do good work. I don't suppose I could convince you to call me Aubrey? It is, after all, my name."
Abby - 1999-6-16
"
It didn't take long to attach her packs to the saddle, then she tightened the girth and mounted. "All right, then," she said, looking down to the Avarel. "Mount up if you're coming. It's a hell of a long way to Torrigan."
After a few moment's hesitation, the girl did mount the tall chestnut horse that had been hovering at her shoulder. Keleos nodded approval, and steered Swift away down the road.
As they walked somewhat placidly through the town, Keleos commented. "I'll warn you now, I'm apt to say whatever's on my mind. Don't feel obliged to answer. I'd talk to my horse if I weren't riding with anyone else." She paused, considered that, and grinned. "I tend to talk to my horse anyhow. But don't be afraid to say whatever you want. I don't object to hearing things as they are."
There was no response, at least not immediately, so Keleos settled into her amazingly comfortable saddle and prepared for a long, slow ride.
Alexia - 1999-6-17
"...Oh," Elexa got out finally. " Elexa...my name."
Oh dear, she thought. It was coming out very scrambled but at least she'd figured out how to talk again.
" Keleos," she said afterwards, thoughtfully testing out the name. " Very s-s-s-s-s-s." She took a deep breath before trying again. " Sorry. the fire. D-d-didn't m-m-mean." She sighed frustratedly and hung her head miserably. The woman probably thought she was simple. and certainly the servants at home had described her that way but it hadn't mattered with Redel and Edex there. " H-h-having p-problems-s t-t-t-talking," she added a little more clearly. " S-s-s-scared," she confessed, glancing over to see the other woman's reaction. " M-m-men in th-the s-street. D-didn't m-m-mean fire. Accident. S-sometimes h-happens. S-s-sorry," she added to the end, dipping her head back down. The woman was probably trying to think how to dump her along the way now that she knew just what a trouble she had picked up. " Glad y-you s-saved the h-horses and d-d-d-d-d-d. d-didn't g-get h-hurt." The talking was easing slightly but it felt like she had to make an effort to push the words out of her mouth, but she did owe the woman some sort of explanation. " T-thank y-you. V-very sorry," she repeated, watching Keleos from the corner of her eye.
Abby - 1999-6-17
eleos listened patiently, irrationally pleased that the girl--Elexa--had finally decided to speak up. (Progress, of a sort. Now at least I know she *can* speak.)
In no particular hurry, she let quiet begin to settle again before responding to Elexa's somewhat disjointed but generally coherent words. With a touch of cheerful humor, she pointed out, "I guessed it was an accident--if you'd wanted to set something ablaze on purpose, there were better targets around than the stables, and you'd have had to have been stupid to stand by afterwards trailing sparks everywhere. You don't look stupid. Scared witless, maybe, but not stupid." She shrugged, carelessly, not much concerned with placing blame. "At any rate, there's no harm done. All the animals were saved, nobody got hurt beyond bruises and some scorching, and barns can be rebuilt. That one was about due, I think."
She grinned wryly. No doubt the citizens of Ansleigh disagreed with her, but at this point they were hardly her concern. Ansleigh was a prosperous town. They could afford to build a new barn. "Like I said," she continued pleasantly, "don't feel obliged to talk just because I do. Powers know I'm verbose enough without any encouragement. As long as you're not stupid, selfish, or cruel, we'll get along fine--and as I said, you don't look stupid. Or cruel, for that matter."
Copyright (c) 1999-2000 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.