Private Tales The Goblin, the Horse, and the Hair

[Avery]

Avery laughed, but watched as the horse sniff down near his hands and grew rather interested.

Charlie pushed at Kael's hands, and Avery stepped aside to keep from being pushed over by the eager steed. "Grab a cube. Just, for the love of Kress, place it flat on your hand."

She decided against warning him not to use his fingers to feed a horse in fear of their teeth.

 

[Kael]

This was farther than he has gotten from the horse. Was it really as simple as let the beast smell him and have sugar in his pockets? Kael listened to the girl and slowly put a hand in his pocket, presenting it open palmed to Charlie. It looked him over and smelled him, then brought snout over to his hand. It sniffed, then sniffed a bit more before pulling the cube into it’s mouth and crunching down.

“Well, I’ve still my fingers and toes.” He responded quietly. At his speaking the horse stopped chewing for a moment, then resumed.

“What now?”

 

[Avery]

"Wait a moment, he will return looking for more."

And of course, once Charlie had finished off the first cube, he knew which hand would have the next and waited impatiently for another.

"Don't get greedy now!" Avery crooned, running a hand down his neck and laughing at the horse's interest in Kael. "Give him the next one and start petting his head, where his eyes can see you. That is the most important thing to remember."

 

[Kael]

Kael was beginning to understand. There was a ritual to please the horses prior to the ride. Kael had once fought a tribe of elves when they conducted a similar ritual to bring the rain, for goblins were not nearly as superstitious as elves. But maybe there was somehow to his. Left hand went to left pocket and obtained the second cube, again presenting palm out.

The horse took the cube and Kael planted his other hand between Charlies eyes and mouth. They both froze for a moment before Kael let his hand glide up and down. The horse began to chew. This continued for a moment until the horse finished.

Kael, like a child on a bicycle, had no idea how to stop without crashing.

Avery

 

[Avery]

Avery grinned widely, immensely proud that this was all working out!

"Now, because Charlie knows two is his limit, if you really want to be good friends with him, give him a third and no more. This way he will think that the more sweet he is with you, the more he is deserving of another. Of course, you must give him a third every once in a while, to ensure he believes he will get another..."

She turned around, walking away to retrieve a brush and returned to begin work on his mane. "Let him explore you. Charlie dips his head and stomps as his warning that he has had enough."

 

[Kael]

Good friends. There was the difference. Kael didn’t think of a horse as a friend, but a living tool. Did Kael really have friends here behind enemy lines? Sader as probably closest, but he suspected Sader considered everyone a friend that wasn’t explicitly hostile.

“Avery, why are you helping me?” He asked as he ‘let the horse explore him’ as it were. He didn’t intend to sound ungrateful, but was confused. His experience with humans was the cutthroat nature of the academy. He didn’t think humans did anything without an expectation of a later favor, but Avery had demanded nothing.

 

[Avery]

Avery looked at him, frowning.

"We aren't in the Old Days, Kael. Not unless you want to be stuck in the past, helping one another will create a stronger Vel Anir." At least, that was the lessons they were being taught. "Actually, I am helping you because you're not awful. Even if I like to hide away from everyone else, you're still kind whereas everyone else assumes that I think I am better than them and don't need to associate with them."

It was lonely, sure, but Avery didn't mind what others thought if it meant she got to keep to herself.

 

[Kael]

Kael considered Avery’s words. Not the old Vel Anir. And he was being helped because he was “not awful”. That seemed a terribly low bar. Between getting his stuff, him shoving a rib in place, jaunts to and from the kitchen they’d probably spent the better part of an hour together.

Simply because he was ‘not awful’.

“I see.” He said, as Charlie moved his snout around Kael’s body.

“Even the other nobles aren’t kind to you?” He asked. He knew they had a some in their class. Vitt, King, and Colt to name a few. At the last word Charlie pulled back his snout and sneezed on Kael for a second time.

 

[Avery]

Avery quirked a brow.

"What do they care?" She scoffed lightly, turning back her attention to the horse. "I'm not a noble, Kael. I may have a family name but last year I traced it back to a dead woman that didn't even remotely look like me. Probably stolen off a grave, knowing the Proctors and their games."

The blonde Initiate was quiet, choosing her words before continuing. "I was given up quite young. The Proctor that came to collect me told me that the hospital almost killed me because of the magic I was putting out. I was affecting their emotions, playing with the biology of the people there... But... the Academy wanted to make me strong. I could achieve greatness if I wanted, but... not after what I did to Vittoria and King. I used to be friends with the Unmaker, but that was before your time here, I think." She scrunched her face, not caring to remember Kael all that well. "The Unmaker and the Bloodsinger, in addition to King as the Amplifier, our class was highly anticipated by the Houses... until the Revolution of course."

 

[Kael]

Kael had made a mistake of inference. Didn’t blonde hair mean noble birth for humans? It seemed the assumption was wrong, and putting the question to Avery’s ears would just make Kael’s out of placeness obvious. Despite his initial perceptions of the girl he found he knew exactly what ailed her.

Avery thought herself an outsider.

“Avery.” He started with her name, putting some emphasis on her. “I’m not very good with people, but if you need a . . . sparring partner or someone to study with, you can ask me.” He said, immediately regretting the words out of his mouth. He wasn’t supposed to make friends, or get to close to people. Yet here he had made a weak offer of some form of companionship.

In front of him Charlie began to stomp, and Kael reflexively held out another cube of sugar. The beast calmed and took it out of his hand.

 

[Avery]

Avery paused, looking at Kael with a mixture of emotions crossing her facade before they settled on something... still indiscernible.

"Thank you..."

It was the most anyone had offered her in the years since they all grew old enough to hold their own. Even Avery had been guilty of such a thing. "Truly, it is always a boon to hear one is not always alone in this." Especially in the Academy.

 

[Kael]

Kael looked over at the woman and found her face to be less than informative.

Was Avery just being polite?

"It looks like I've hit the limit." He said, referring to the sugar cubes. "What's the next big secret?" He asked, entirely unhelpful for the previous remark.

Kael really didn't know what else to say.

 

[Avery]

Kindness always made Avery awkward. They were Initiates after all, supposedly made to not understand a lot of emotions and acts.

She gestured for him to stand next to her, offering the brush. "Start brushing. Remember, he likes to be flattered, so working on him like this makes him relax from the attention you are paying." Avery would stand aside, and slide into his stable to busy herself. It was so easy for her to return kind acts, but for someone to highlight it and bring it to the forefront? It made her all too aware of what she was doing. What was too kind? What was seen as a lack of appreciation? She had said her thanks, but was she expected to smile the rest of the day?

 

[Kael]

Kael went over to stand by Avery, becoming keenly aware that he was still covered in horse-sneeze as he got closer. He took the brush from her hands and looked over at Charlie, a bit more contained than normal. At least normal for Kael. He began to mimic the motion he had seen Avery undertake earlier. He was not a perfect mimic however, and would probably make a slight mistake if there was significant technique in brushing.

As he worked he stole a glance at the girl, and tried to decipher what she was thinking. Had he overstepped? If he had perhaps that would make things easier.

 

[Avery]

"You can brush more than one spot of his mane, you know?" She noted, nodding her head towards the mess of hair atop Charlie's head that was within reach.

"I will... freshen up his water trough and... perhaps..." Well there was not much else to do, since the stable hands had done their jobs thoroughly. Avery then found herself standing still, hands on her hips as she tried to think of something else to do.

 

[Kael]

Kael moved the brush to the spot Avery indicated and began working out the horse's hair. Hair in general was such a pain to deal with. At least it kept his head a little warmer when shifted.

"Did you manage to restring the bow yet?" Kael suggested, as the woman seemed to be looking for . . . something.

 

[Avery]

"Oh."

She thought, looking around and seeing it where she had left it by the horse she rode earlier.

"Oh." Avery slipped past Charlie and closed the stall door behind her, walking over to retrieve the bow and the loosened string. "This will take... not that long at all."

There were tools hanging up by the barn, thankfully ones that would do the job. Next was finding a spot to sit and work.

 

[Kael]

"Oh."

"You don't have-" He spoke out, but the girl had already left. He was alone for a moment, or semi-alone. The horses were not given the luxury of complete privacy.

"Hold on just a second Charlie." Kael said, before stopping the brushing. The horse whinnied, but was otherwise fairly tame. Kael took off his pack and pulled out his now-cut shirt and used it as a rag, getting himself somewhat cleaner before turning it inside out, wrapping it, and returning it to the pack. The horse let out a whinnie as he returned the shirt.

"Alright, I wasn't that slow." Kael chided, but returned to brushing the beast. "Probably take you out soon."

 

[Avery]

Dragging a wooden chair behind her, Avery came back into view.

"This is quite an old bow. You know, there are better built ones in the armoury Initiates can use. Have you used those yet? Quite strong although... I think you can manage it." If he was a decent shot, it would not take him long to master. "Kress... This string is old..."

She frowned. "Maybe this will take longer..."

 

[Kael]

Kael was quickly rejoined by the woman.

"The bow is six years old. The string is . . . three I believe." He responded with some precision, though he didn't give the why.

"Though I think you're right. I've probably outgrown it." He said, glancing at the arm holding the brush. Though there was certainly magic in his human form there was also just him in it now, and his musculature had certainly developed since he carved the bow long ago.

"I guess I'm hesitant to requisition new equipment."

 

[Avery]

Avery smiled, naturally and not at all due to the fact she had been thinking too much.

"Well, we can stop with the niceties. I can get you a bow and a better quiver of arrows, and perhaps we can go about the Restes? See which of us is a better shot?"

 

[Kael]

Kael finished bringing out the last tangle of hair from Charlie. The beast seemed to preen at the process being finished.

"Yeah, let's go shoot." Kael responded. "On foot or horseback? Best of five?" Kael responded, more naturally then he'd been before. Amazing how much easier life was with weapons in between them.

 

[Avery]

She glanced between him and Charlie, biting down on a smile that threatened to grow wider.

"On foot. We can use the runes to activate a playing field for moving targets." Excited, eager to step up to a challenge.

 

[Kael]

Kael smiled.

"Alright, let's pick up equipment." He responded. Noting she hadn't restrung his bow Kael decided she was set on getting him a new one, or perhaps just replacing the string. Did he have any attachment to the old thing? Kael decided not.

"You want to hit the armory, or to your quarters?"

 

[Avery]

"How about I meet you back at the Restes in an hour?"

She handed him back his slacked bow, smiling. "Be on time. Go see Proctor Urahil about your rib, and I will see you for the archery challenge."

And with that, Avery bounded off to ready her plans.