The Naming; open

[rumor]

The horse was resisting him. Sure, she was obedient enough, but she didn’t relax. The mare’s ears were back, her head raised stiffly, even as she followed the commands. Adonis followed her movements with blue-green eyes, patient and quiet. He flicked the lunge whip into the air behind the bay, and the horse increased her pace from a trot to a canter as she circled inside the ring. Another flick in front of her, and she changed direction. Adonis did this several more times, asking her to go through the different paces both clockwise and counterclockwise.

It was a beautiful day – the trees blazed with color, the air was crisp but not cold. He had slipped out of the Keep just before dawn, and ridden to his estate, breath smoking in the chilly air. While he was technically living at Darkwood, his land remained his property, to use as he saw fit. He had considered selling it, but decided against it. The stable here was his pride and joy. There was a stable in the Keep, of course, but it wasn’t large enough for his purposes. Until he could afford to rebuild it, he would keep this one.

Having greeted the horses, the noble had worked with an energetic colt named Patriot, accustoming him to the touch of human hands, before bringing the mare into the outdoor ring. She was unnamed, because she had yet to accept a human. Having been caught wild as an adolescent, she had never been fully tamed. Of course, no one had really tried. She’d been a common plow horse for several years, before being sold to an abusive owner, who she turned on. He’d been about to smack her with a pipe when Adonis intervened.

Now he was going to see if she would ever truly be comfortable with people. If yes, the bay would be an excellent horse for just about anyone. She was intelligent, well behaved, and generally gentle, as long as she was treated well. The only thing she lacked was a connection with a person, a reason to be affectionate and eager to please. If he couldn’t give her that, Adonis would let her go. He wouldn’t force her into a life of doing what a rider wanted just because that was what she had been trained to do. He wanted his horses to be happy, and willing to do what a rider asked because they loved them.

The sun was slowly creeping higher into the sky when the mare finally started cooperating. Her head lowered, her strides lengthened. Adonis turned to the side, letting his shoulders relax as he eased his stance. The hoofbeats slowed, and then stopped. He waited patiently, unmoving as he listened intently. The sound of hooves hitting sand alerted him to the horse’s slow approach. He felt a gust of air on the back of his neck as she nudged him curiously.

Smiling, he turned and stroked the bay’s cheek. She nudged him again, bumping her nose against his shoulder. Adonis withdrew a treat from his pocket and offered it to her, which she accepted happily. While she crunched, he considered her, eyes thoughtful. Reaching out a hand, he placed it on her forehead. “Everlast,” he decided. Clipping a lead to her halter, he led the newly named horse inside.

He was sliding open the door to her stall when he sensed someone watching him. Unfastening the halter, he slid it off the bay’s head and tapped her glossy shoulder to send her into the stall. Adonis closed and latched the door, hanging the halter on the outside of it, and coiled the lead into a neat bundle before turning to see who wanted his attention.

words; 621
for; anyone

[oop]

Gray eyes blinked slowly, lazily, as they watched the man guide the horse around the ring. He was very skilled, and his horses seemed very well trained. Lazriel was impressed. He spread one wing and began preening the feathers there quietly, waiting for the man to finish his morning work. Were he not so patient, Lazriel would have left long ago, before the sun started crowning the sky. He had work to do, after all. No day in Taryn was an idle day.

Before the man turned around, Laz glided silently to the ground, his pouch clasped in his talons. Back in his human form, he fastened the pouch, which jingled slightly, to his leather belt. The wind blew gently, easing into the fabric of his clothes and filling them out, for he was too lithe to do so himself.

In fact, examining the man as he turned around, he found their acute differences rather amusing. Where this man, whom Lazriel had learned was called Adonis, looked very obviously masculine, his own features were not so distinct. In fact, Laz himself looked very effeminate, and he knew this. Lacking his defined muscle, he would look not so different from a woman, for where Adonis had somewhat rugged features, Lazriel's were all smooth, though still sharp. He had the kind of face that one often saw and pondered at.

"Good afternoon," Lazriel said, covering the two steps that separated him from the fence with the grace and speed that matched his almost womanish face. He didn't really care if Adonis was royalty, or if he was a beggar. To Laz, they were all the same, equals. He made no special gestures of reverence. "I've heard that you train horses, and I'm interesting in acquiring one."

Though Lazriel could manage without one, his burdens would be somewhat lessened. It took many hours to haul his heavy wares to the market every week, and only slightly less time to get them all back to his shop, for unlike most craftsmen, he didn't conduct business in the central part of the city, but rather on the outskirts. Also, though he didn't mind solitude, he found that on slow days, he wouldn't mind a companion to go on walks with him.

The only issue was that he wasn't quite sure what a professionally trained horse might cost, and he had saved nearly twenty crowns, which was a small fortune to some. For Lazriel, who rarely spent money on much other than food and other necessities, it wasn't hard to save his somewhat erratic income.

Word Count: 429

(That kind of sucked. Sorry.)

[rumor]

Turning, he dusted off his hands, watching as a young man approached, slender with white hair and gray eyes. Despite his size, muscles were clearly defined, particularly on his arms. The stranger halted a few paces away, looking at him with a direct gaze. “Good afternoon. I've heard that you train horses, and I'm interesting in acquiring one.” Adonis appreciated the straightforward way he made his wish known, without any of the displays of slavishness. It was nice to get straight to business instead of dancing around the topic, exchanging pleasantries and meaningless chit chat.

“I’m sure I can help you with that. What kind of horse are you looking for? As in, drafting, tail riding, etcetera?” He beckoned with one hand as he spoke, leading the man farther into the stable. It was neat and tidy, the wide stone isle swept clean. Windows let sunlight stream though, casting the barn in warm, bright light. It wasn't at all cold inside, despite the chill of the outdoors. The stable was a T shape, consisting of two intersecting branches. There were large box stalls made of sturdy wood on either side of the isle, stocked with fresh bedding, hay nets, and stone grain troughs set in the wall.

The stalls were of a clever design. Hay and grain were on the side near the isle, along with the half door that allowed the horses to stick their head out. Each door sported a brass plaque with the horse's name. A water trough ran along the back wall. It passed through all the stalls, and was filled with running water. Constantly fresh and full. A hot spring surfaced nearby – they piped the water through the building to keep it warm, and then emptied the cool water into the trough.

Pausing, Adonis looked around with a considering gaze, then moved on. “How much experience do you have with horses? And what’s your budget? Will anyone but you be handling the horse? Any preferences – color, gender, age?” He didn’t include size in that list, because that would depend on what the stranger wanted to use the horse for. “I’m Adonis, by the way,” he added absently, still meandering along, looking over his horses. The other man probably knew that, but it was better never to assume.

382 words
s'okay, mine did too. =P

[oop]

Pushing himself off of the fence with ease, Laz strode toward the other man with an almost disturbing fluidity. He could not say if years of cruel servitude had made him silent so, or if genetics had somehow insisted upon it, but all of Lazriel's forms - including his human one - moved with deadly grace (only adding to his effeminacy, though that hardly bothered him).

He also was one to appreciate a lack of flattery and simply get to the point. He felt that Adonis felt so also. Yet, as the other man began inquiring more specific details, Lazriel found that perhaps he should have investigated into this a bit more before showing up. A slight frown tilted his lips for a moment, but he decided that he had already started this endeavor, and so he would simply struggle through it. Adonis seemed like an honest enough man, and Laz felt he could ask him anything he was unsure about.

"I'm not sure what you would call it, but I simply need a horse to help transport wares into the market." He felt slightly embarrassed about his lack of knowledge, for he considered himself a fairly learned man, but this slight mortification didn't sound in his inflection or appear on his visage. Yet, on the matter of horses, Laz truly knew little about breeds and types. Laz knew how to care for them appropriately, and had spent many weeks building the barn in the empty field behind his shop and home, setting up an enclosed area outside for the horse to roam. Of course, it was nothing so magnificent as this stable, with it's incredible layout and clever use of running water, but it wasn't shabby, in any case. His barn, however, had only one very large stall at the moment, though he had left room for the addition of more, should horses be something he found to his liking.

His eyes couldn't seem to stay put in this stable, however. Lazriel's natural curiosity almost overpowered all else as he watched the flowing water with his head tilted slightly. Now, how did that work? Despite most people in Taryn having an aversion to humans and their technology, Laz found it fascinating. He didn't have anything like it in his own home, and he didn't find his home lacking, but liked to think about such clever inventions.

"I am no master, but I've had some experience with them before." Before he ran away, he was the only one willing (or forced) to go muck out the stables, feed and water the horses, and take them on occasional walks. "I will be the only one handling it, yes. And I have no real preferences, except I might like a younger horse. Color and gender don't really matter much."

A glistening, black horse caught Lazriel's eye in one stable. He moved toward the door and watched it for a moment before following Adonis once more. These horses were magnificent! He knew now that twenty crowns, though quite a sum, would not scratch the surface of any debt for one of these fantastic beasts. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, considering. He definitely needed a horse as soon as circumstance allowed. He was about vexed with having to lug his wares to market and back constantly.

"My budget is somewhat flexible, if you're willing to trade more than crowns and talents. I am a blacksmith, and perhaps my services could be of use to you?" Any horse trainer of a lesser magnitude would jump at the chance to have a blacksmith offer personal service. Horseshoes were complicated business when it came to one that didn't know the bloomery from the cooking fire, for example. But Adonis was no common horse trained, and far from needy of any service, including Laz's.

"My name is Lazriel." He doubted that Adonis had heard of him before. Laz lived on nearly the complete opposite side of the city, and because he didn't live or work near the marketplace, it seemed very few bothered to actually remember his name, though he was very skilled.

Word Count: 729
(I really can rant, can't I?)

[rumor]

Having asked all crucial questions, Adonis nodded and stopped at the intersection of the two branches, turning to the other man. “I believe we can work something out. I already have a ferrier, who probably knows more about horses’ feet than anyone else alive, but I have other work I can offer you. We’re always in need of small things – hooks, nails, bits, fastenings, hoof-picks, buckles, and more. However, I do have a larger project I need done, if you’re up to it, but we can discuss that later. Let’s find you a horse.” Signaling that Lazriel should remain there, he turned and disappeared down a hall.

A horse for carrying goods, not too difficult to handle, sturdy enough to carry heavy loads, and on the younger side. The noble began selecting those that met the criteria, and seemed that they would get along with Lazriel. When he returned to the intersection a few minutes later, he held the leads of three horses. He tied each one to a separate ring on the wall, then turned to accept the fourth - which had been brought in from outside - from a stable hand. Adonis tethered the last, and turned to the other man.

“These are my recommendations. If none of them click, don’t hesitate to tell me, and we can look around some more.” He gestured to the first, a mellow palomino mare with a white blaze. Although a bit on the smaller side, she was sturdy and strong enough to carry laden packs. “This is May, a mustang. She was originally a family horse. All purpose, easy-going, and patient, but she starts at loud, sudden noises. Eight years old, fourteen hands high. She’s not trained to pull carts, but I could easily change that if it’s something you’re interested in.”

The second option was another mare, dark chestnut in color with a lighter mane and tail. “Her name’s Tee Time. A quarter horse, ten years old, used to pull carriages. She’s wonderfully sweet, particularly to the person who cares for her, and quite steady and hardworking. She might not get on so well with other horses – she’s selective about who she allows in her herd. She’s slightly lame in her front hooves, so you have to be careful when shoeing her.”

Adonis turned to the third horse, a large black gelding who watched the humans irritably. “This is Corix. I don’t know his exact age, but I’d guess it to be 10 or so. I won’t lie to you; he’s ornery, ill-humored, and disagreeable. You need a firm hand with him. He’s wary with strangers, and nips if he doesn’t know who’s boss. He’ll test you until you prove you’re dominant. Despite that, he’s not a bad worker. If you’re firm and direct, he’ll behave, and he’d be good for carrying wares. Clydesdale/thoroughbred cross, seventeen and a half hands high.”

He gestured to the final horse, a bay gelding that was larger than May, average sized but not massive. His coat was glossy brown, with black mane, tail, and socks. Elegant and strong, with well defined features. “Waymaker. I think he’d be best for you, despite the fact that he looks a bit flashy. Hanoverian, sixteen hands, seven years old. I bought him as a foal, and I trained him for farm work and basic riding. Pulling and carrying for the first, jumping and all around riding for the second. He’s relaxed, no temper at all, and steady as they come. He’s also very low maintenance – no know health issues, friendly but independent, and willing to do anything you ask.”

601 words
sorry this is mostly dialogue. =/

[oop]

One hand placed on his bare chin, Lazriel examined the horses critically. He truly knew little about horses, he realized, compared to Adonis. This just got a bit more complicated every minutes he stood in the warm, brightly lit stable. He didn't know what he'd expected, but it seemed he had overlooked the fact that horses, too, had personalities.

All four horses were beautiful creatures - impeccable, even. Glossy, healthy, and definitely worth more than Laz's meager twenty crowns. It was plain enough to see just how well trained each horse was, and how much time had been spent with each.

Yet, both of the mares seemed too gentle for the work that Lazriel would require of them. He had no doubt that they could perform their tasks well, but he simply didn't have the heart to make them. Though he believed - and had very well seen - that women could work every bit as hard as any man, he knew that their true joys involved mothering and nuturing, not toiling like a common workhand. It was a man's job to provide, and although he didn't know if these principles transfered to the equine species, he assumed that he would choose a male horse for what society and practical manners deemed a male's job.

Corix certainly seemed up to the job, but Laz doubted he could make the horse behave for a long while, and he needed one that could help immediately. Although Lazriel had a somewhat strict personality, he knew too little of horses to be sure he could get Corix to cooperate, and he would rather not face the mortification of bringing the young gelding back to trade for another if he failed to show dominance. Besides, with his quiet personality, Laz was looking for a companion as well as a practical animal. A gentler personality would suit him better, he knew.

He didn't feel an instant connection with Waymaker. As Adonis pointed out, the horse looked flashy, and Laz was anything but flashy. But, according to what the young trainer told him, the beast was perfect.

He stepped forward slowly, extending a hand toward the fantastic creature. He gently brushed his hand against Waymaker's neck, and when he felt that the horse was comfortable, he took another step closer, brushing his hand further down the length of the equine's back. Waymaker seemed not to disapprove.

"It would seem, Adonis, that you knew my needs better than I." Because his requirements and preferences had been but few, and Adonis had taken those few needs and wants and seemingly produced with them a horse far better than any Laz had dared hope for. He knew not how to express his gratitude, and so said nothing. For all his years spent in the company of all sorts of people, he still had not mastered his social skills. He mostly kept to himself and said only what needed to be said, though sometimes he wished otherwise.

"I can only imagine his worth, though. I'm sure it's more than twenty crowns." Laz certainly wouldn't part with such a brilliant animal for twenty crowns, and he'd only just met Waymaker. He hadn't raised him, trained him, or spent any real amount of time with him. Still, he thought it would be well worth the sacrifices he would need to make to attain this particular horse.

Words: 583
(Dialogue is fine. Mine is just kind of boring.
By the way, have you given any thought to future plot?)

[rumor]

He watched Lazriel closely as he interacted with Waymaker. He didn’t expect a true connection – those came along rarely, once or twice in a lifetime, if you were lucky. However, it was important that horse and owner got along well, sharing mutual respect and affection. The two seemed to get on well enough, which was a good start. “It’s not your needs I know, but my horses,” he corrected, running a hand over Corix’s neck.

At his mention of price, Adonis gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid so. Three times as much, to be exact - sixty crowns is his selling price.” Tilting his head to one side, he did some quick mental math. “And you have twenty? I’m sure I can give you forty crowns worth of work, if you decide to take him.” Gesturing over a stable-hand, he indicated that he wanted the other three horses returned to their stalls. When they had been led away, he returned his attention to the bay gelding.

“That project that I mentioned earlier would be worth about thirty crowns, I think. I need some armor that will change when I shift. I know such sets are rare, so if you don’t have the skill to make it that’s perfectly understandable. Otherwise it’s just basic things.” While he spoke, Adonis ran his hands over the horse. Checking his tone, legs, and hooves, in addition to the eyes and teeth. The stable-hands knew what to watch for, but he liked to give the horses a thorough look over when he could.

“Also, I’d like for you to work with him in the ring for a few minutes, if you don’t mind. Just to see how you both get on. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything about ring work, I can tell you what to do.” It was one thing to see horse and shifter interact in a very basic setting, but it was even more important to see how they worked together.

332 words
you mean for this thread, or something else?

[oop]

Lazriel only nodded. Yes, Adonis certainly did know his horses. And, he also understood that the price was fair. Of course it was. For a trained horse, ready for work and mild-mannered, it was a creature worthy of sixty crowns. Laz couldn't argue, and nor could he barter for a better price. He wouldn't dare ask for a lesser price.

At the mention of changing armor, Laz's eyes slid sideways toward Adonis, even as he continued stroking Waymaker's gleaming coat. Changing armor was not something that any non-shifting, apprentice blacksmith would even dare attempt. It was hard to make, damn near impossible if you didn't know what you were doing. Laz had the skills to make changing armor, but not the material. Also, designs for such things took much thought.

"It takes a long time and a lot of material to make, but I can make it for you, if you supply the material." It couldn't be made of any metal, and the materials cost about as much as the work itself. Lazriel simply couldn't afford it, and that was that.. He'd either be making so many nails that he'd see them in his sleep, or Adonis would purchase the metal and request his services.

Ring work? Laz knew little to nothing about it. The horses he'd cared for in the past had no ring to work with, and he had only led them around for exercise, never actually working with them. After all, they were not his horses and he had not been allowed to ride them, anyway.

"Sure." He untied Waymaker and held his lead, waiting for Adonis to lead the way.

Word Count: 293
I was talking about this thread.
And sorry this post is so darn short.
I wrote out the whole thing once, and then my computer decided to fail.
The next one will be better, I promise.

[rumor]

Adonis nodded, having expected this. Thirty crowns would cover labor, but not supplies, which would be approximately the same amount. “I can pay for materials. I’ll let you select them, of course. And time isn’t an issue – there’s no rush.” He knew the basics of the process, but nothing in depth enough to know which metals would be best.

Lazriel agreed to work in the ring, so he nodded and led the way out of stable, grabbing a lunge whip that was leaning against the wall as he did so. It was a four foot long flexible rod, with a thin leather strip of the same length on the end. Back in the sunshine, he opened the ring gate and gestured for the other man to lead Waymaker through, then went in himself, closing the gate after him. Walking with them to the center of the sandy circle, he halted and unclipped the gelding’s lead, coiling it and sticking it in a pocket.

“I’ll show you what to do, then you can try,” he said, motioning for Laz to stay with him at the center. Waymaker stood near them, idly nibbling on Adonis’s shirt. “First, you have to send him to the edge of the ring.” He faced the horse squarely, and tapped him on the shoulder with rod part of the whip. As he obediently moved to the fence, the noble glanced at Laz. “Sometimes you give them a tap, but you never make contact with the whip. It’s the sound they react to.” There was a clear statement in the words. He would not accept someone whipping his horses, or raising a hand against them. Some people believed that a lash with a whip encouraged work. Adonis was not one of them.

Waymaker was waiting patiently at the edge of the ring, looking at the two curiously. “I’m going to have you do a join-up with him. Send him around the ring at a canter, and keep him at it.” Flicking the whip near the bay’s hocks, he called “canter.” Waymaker set off easily, circling around the two at a lope. The entire time Adonis turned with him, shoulders squared and head up, standing straight as he faced the horse. “Your posture is very important. It’s how they communicate. At the moment, I’m telling him that I’m in charge, and I want him to go forward. This is how you’re going to start, but it will be different for you. See how his head is down, and his ears are turned toward me? When you’re directing him, his head will be up, and while his ears will be toward you, they will also be angled slightly back. That’s normal. Just keep him at the canter – you might have to flick the whip and repeat the command once in a while, so he doesn’t slow down on you.”

“When he lowers his head and relaxes, turn to side, drop your gaze and your shoulders, and wait. He’ll come you to.” The noble demonstrated, suddenly letting go of his direct, commanding posture. Turning to the side, he allowed his shoulders to slump and his head to bow forward slightly. Almost immediately, Waymaker slowed to a walk and turned, coming over to nuzzle him. Adonis turned and stroked the horse’s muzzle, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “It probably won’t be so quick for you – he’ll hesitate before coming over. It’s significant; it shows that that horse trusted you, was looking to you for leadership. When you directed them to go, they went, and when you signaled you’d like companionship, they came.”

“Sometimes a horse won’t join with you – don’t be offended. It just means that horse doesn’t completely trust you yet. I’ve had to spend months working with a horse before they’d accept me. So give it a try, and don’t be hurt if it doesn’t work right away.” Handing Lazriel the lunge whip, he moved to the edge of the ring and lifted himself up onto the fence, settling in to watch.

674 words
no ideas atm, but I'll think on it

[oop]

Gray eyes observed every detail about Adonis that could be seen and remembered as he worked with the horse in the ring. That was what Lazriel was good at: watching, copying, understanding. Those had been the three main factors that made him a capable apprentice all those years ago, and now he used them to learn from Adonis, as well as simply listening.

Honestly, he felt foolish. Almost every person in Taryn had a horse, or knew somebody that had one. He must have been the only male over the age of fifteen that didn't already know how to do this. But, Laz was determined to learn, and who better to learn from than a master? It was better late than never.

He accepted the whip and tested its weight in his hand, which he thought was important to do with all things that cold cause significant damage. He didn't crack the whip, knowing better than to startle Waymaker. He took a deep breath, and then turned to face his potential new companion.

Just as Adonis had done, he tapped the horse's shoulder gingerly with the rod, and just as it had been trained, it took to the outside of the sandy ring. Laz squared his shoulders and faced the horse before flicking the whip carefully behind the horse. He called "canter" just as Adonis had, and the horse began moving.

This thrilled Lazriel. He did not know why, exactly, but he knew that he felt adrenaline starting to rush through him, like liquid fire. He supposed that it had something to do with the simple joy of working with another creature. Although Laz certainly was antisocial, he was human, and sometimes small interactions felt far more significant than they really were.

He kept Waymaker at a steay canter for a few minutes, and then imitated Adonis, He turned to the side, dropped his gaze, and relazed his shoulders. He waited patiently, and could, if he looked out of the corner of his eyes, see Waymaker coming slowly toward him. However, halfway to the center of the ring, he seemed to change his mind and retreat a little.

This did not disappoint Lazriel. Instead, he smiled. Slowness of trust was something they had in common. It was something to be built up and treated delicately, like artwork. He didn't mind Waymaker's hesitation, for wouldn't Lazriel do the same thing in the horses's place?

He did not know what to say. He handed Adonis the lunge whip, and cleared his throat slightly, though the pleased glow didn't leave his face. "He's a fantastic horse," he commented. Laz was now certain that Waymaker was the one he wanted, and he would pay a hundred crowns, if he needed to. However, that brough his mind back to the project he would need to complete. His arms already ached from the long days that would be spent at the fire.

Not for the first time, it dawned on Lazriel how much he disliked his profession. Yet, circumstances in his life had prevented him from choosing or being picky. He had been lucky to be taken in and taught, and so he did not complain.

Word Count: 545
Alright. ^^;