by Spoor, Garry
Grim said and he lowered himself to the ground. Kile grabbed a handful of mane, threw one leg over with a little difficulty and Grim slowly got back to his feet.
“Don’t see any problem there.” Latherby remarked.
“She still has to prove she can ride him.”
“Well, then this should be very entertaining.” Latherby added.
Master Pike walked to the center of the field. “Okay everyone, mount up, mount up.” He yelled. “You will be following the course that we took during the last training session. Up thought the hills, down through the river bed and back here. Those that don’t know it, just follow the horse in front of you, and don’t get lost.”
The horses began to move off one by one, all but Grim, who refused to move.
“Grim, what are you waiting for, come on.” She said as she tried to coax him into moving.
-Why?-
“What, what do you mean why. We have to follow the other horse before they get too far ahead. I don’t know where we’re supposed to go.”
-Here.-
“What?”
-Here… the trail ends here. Why do I have to walk all that way around the landscape just to come back here? We stay here and the rest of those stupid horses can find us.-
“It doesn’t work that way. We have to follow the trail.”
-Pointless.-
“So are a lot of things, but if we’re in this together, you have to trust me on this.”
“Is there a problem cadet Veller?” Master Pike asked as he walked up beside Grim.
“No sir, No problem.”
“You don’t appear to be moving. Is it that you can’t control this… monstrosity?” He laughed.
Monstrosity was probably the wrong word to use around Grim as the Mountain pony took his first step on the trail, driving a platter sized hoof straight down on Master Pike’s boot. There was a sickening crunch as his foot sank into the ground and the horse master screamed.
“Grim… move.” She told the horse.
Grim reluctantly lifted his hoof, and Pike pulled his foot from the mud as he hobbled off cursing. If the ground hadn’t been so soft, there was no telling how much damage Grim could have done to the horse master, as it was, he was still a massively heavy horse. Grim gave Pike a dismissive look, snorted then started off down the trail after the other, at his own pace.
“I would have thought that a Horse master would have known enough not to stand so close to an ill tempered horse.” Kile heard Lathery tell Master Pike as he helped him to his feet.
“You did that deliberately.” Kile whispered to Grim.
-Of course I did.-
Grim replied unapologetically.
-He was a condescending, annoying little fool.-
“That may be true, but he is still the instructor. You can’t keep crushing the instructor’s feet.”
-Of course not, he only has two feet, which gives me one more opportunity.-
“Look, we have to set some guidelines if this is going to work.” Kile sighed, “Rule number one, we do not crush instructors, no matter how much fun it might be.”
-Fine… suit yourself.-
It didn’t take them long before they finally reached the back of the group which was filled mostly with novice horseman who were doing everything they could to keep from falling off their mounts. Daniel, Carter, and Alex had held back, waiting for her as she and Grim moved between them.
“You can’t be serious.” Carter said as he eyed Grim. “You really plan on using that as you mount?” He asked.
“Of course, what’s wrong with him?”
“Well, he’s ugly for starters.” Carter laughed.
Kile wasn’t sure what Grim had in mind as he started to move toward Carter and Dirk. She gave the handful of mane she was clinging to a good jerk.
“Grim… no.”
-You're taking all the fun out of this.-
“Not during training.”
“You having a problem with that… thing?” Carter asked.
Grim slowly turned his head and stared at Carter from under the long locks of hair that covered his face.
“It may be beneficial to your health not to insult my horse.” Kile advised.
“Yeah… I think you might be right.” He said as he pulled Dirk back and maneuvered him so Daniel and Miliea rode between them.
“Does anyone know where we’re going?” She asked.
“Actually, you’re the only one that never completed the trail.” Alex replied.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She mumbled. “Maybe we should pick up the pace so we’re not last.”
“Can you ride that…” Carter glanced over at Grim who was stills staring at him. The mountain pony’s eyes had never left the cadet. “… that noble steed?”
He didn’t mean it, but Grim accepted it with a loud snort as he turned his attention back to the road.
“Only one way to find out.” Kile replied. “You ready for this Grim?”
-Why not-
Grim said and suddenly broke into a gallop. He may not have been as fast as the other horse, or look as graceful, but his movements were fluid and Kile had not trouble staying on. The others easily caught up. Carter and Alex even pulled out in front while Daniel kept in step with Kile.
Carter was defiantly the most gifted horseman of the group as he rode Dirk with ease, but then that really shouldn’t come as a surprise. The boy was cut out to be a hunter, everything he did bordered on perfection, and at times it made her jealous. Alex, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. He was not as bad as some of the cadets but he was no where near as good as Carter or even Kile for that matter as he bobbed around on top of Illusion, doing his best to hold on. The thing with Alex is that he did not fear failure, if he fell off his horse he would just laugh at himself and jump back on, assuming that he survived. That was something that she hadn’t managed to achieve, she worried too much about what others thought. As for Daniel, he fell somewhere in-between the other two, which was probably why she found it easier to talk with Daniel than the other two.
The country side was incredible as they raced crossed the open field toward the forest. It was the first time in her life that Kile really felt free. She cared about nothing, only the feel of the horse and the sound of his hoofs and she knew that Grim was feeling that same freedom. As they hit the forest Carter and Alex were forced to slow down to navigate the trees, but Grim never did. He was starting to catch up with them and she let him run, she trusted that he knew where he was going, and a horse would never intentionally collide with a tree, at least she didn’t think so.
As the ground got steeper and the terrain got rockier, the riders began to slow down, but mountain ponies thrived in harsher environments. What posed as a barrier to the other horse was nothing but a small obstacle to Grim as he took the hill side in leaps and bound, never loosing his footing, never hesitating once, of course Kile wasn’t as confident and did close her eyes as he basically ran up the side of the hill. When he reached the top he stopped.
-You can open your eyes now.-
She looked out over the landscape and from her vantage point on top of the hill she could see farther than she had ever seen before. The whole world opened up before her and it was more beautiful than she had ever imagined. Past the forest, and the rivers, all the way to the mountains that loomed in the distant north, their high, snow capped peaks hidden in the clouds. The south gave way to great fields and planes, all the way to the sea, and although she couldn’t see it, she could picture it in her mind, as well as all the places she would love to visit.
“It’s beautiful.” She said as she took it all in, and it was all hers, not literally, but there was nothing stopping her from going. She could turn Grim any direction she wanted and just run. Up to the mountains or down to the sea, she was free to choose.
“What the heck was that?” Carter asked as he and Dirk finally reached the summit. “You don’t run a horse straight up the side of a hill that
steep.”
“You do if he wants to.” Kile replied, never taking her eyes off the splendor of the view. Two more years she thought, then she would be out of the academy, another year on probation and she would be a certified level five hunter. She would be able to go anywhere she wanted, do anything she wanted.
“Hey, you alright?” Carter asked as he rode up beside her. “What’s the matter?”
“What do you mean?” She asked as she finally looked at him.
“It's just that… are you… crying?”
“What… no, no of course not.” She said wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s just the sunlight.”
“Oh… okay.” Carter replied, although he did seem to believe her.
“Man that was cool.” Alex yelled as he and Illusion topped the hill. “I have never seen a horse run straight up the side of a hill like that, man you guys were almost vertical.”
“That would be an exaggeration.” Daniel added as he and Miliea arrived last. “But not much of one”
“Come on, we can’t hang around here all day.” Carter said as he turned Dirk back toward the trail.
Why not, she thought as she nudged Grim to follow. It wasn’t as if they had anything pressing to get back for. As she followed them back, she hadn’t realized how far off the trial they had gone. Grim went out of his way to find that spot and to show it to her.
“Let’s see if you’re as good going down hills as you are going up.” Carter challenged as he and Dirk broke into a gallop. Grim was not one to be outdone and quickly fell into pace. Sure enough, He could navigate down hills as easy, if not easier than he could climb them as he pass Dirk in what Kile would have sworn was a free-fall maneuver. Instead of pulling up as most of the riders had done, Grim ran head first straight down the hill, his large platter sized hoofs slamming into the ground. This time Kile kept her eyes open, much to her dismay. They had passed Riders who were, at one time, well ahead of them, as the hill didn’t slow the mountain pony down as it had done the other horses. Even the river, where some of the riders had stopped to water their mounts was not an obstacle. Grim thundered past the cadets, back through the forest, until he broke out into the clearing of the field, only then did he slow down.
-I assume we’re going back to the academy.-
He remarked as he slowed to a steadier, even pace. The fact that the horse wasn’t even winded had surprised Kile who, although she hadn’t been running, was still trying to catch her breath. She recalled the way Latherby had described the Mountain Pony, a mount that can go long distances without the need of food, water, or rest, and the way he navigated the rougher terrain put the other horses to shame. It was no wonder that the Hunters had considered the use of mountain ponies over the standard plains horse. She was kind of glad they didn’t thou, because if they had, Grim wouldn’t be unique.
“No rush.” She said, stroking his side. “We can wait for the others.”
-As you wish-
It was several minutes before Carter did catch up, a few other riders had passed them, but since this wasn’t a race, at least not that she was aware of, she really didn’t care.
“Okay, I give. If I ever say anything bad about that horse, you have the right to kick me in the ass.” Carter said as he rode up beside her.
“Agreed.” She replied.
“Hey you two, this is not a race.” Daniel yelled as he began to close ground, followed by a rather wobbly Alex.
“No one said it was.” Carter remarked.
“Well, you couldn’t tell by the way you two were bolting through the forest. We almost lost Alex twice.”
“I’m okay.” Alex said as he rode up on Illusion. “I think I’m getting the hang of it.”
“He is behaving himself, isn’t he?” Kile asked.
“Actually he’s been pretty good all day. Whatever you said to him must have done the trick.” The smaller cadet laughed. “If only you had the same knack with instructors this year would be a breeze.”
They weren’t the first to arrive back at the academy grounds, but they definitely weren’t the last, and Kile knew, that if she and Grim had wanted to, they could have improved their time greatly, but she wouldn’t have given up that view for anything.
Master Pike stood in the center of the field, his boot was off and his foot was wrapped in a tight bandage. He appeared more annoyed than usual.
“You will take your horses back to the stables, brush them down and water them. After that… class is dismissed.” Master Pike said as they rode past him. Kile knew enough to keep Grim at a safe distance from the horse master, more for Master Pike’s sake than for Grim’s.
“Well, it would appear that we now have a hunter that rides a mountain pony.” Latherby called out from the paddock fence that he was sitting on. Kile nudged Grim towards him.
“I think I understand now, why they wanted to use mountain ponies.” She remarked when she got closer.
Latherby smiled as he stroked the pony’s nose. Grim didn’t really care for the attention but he was willing to tolerate it, but for how long she wasn’t sure.
“It’s a shame really.” Latherby replied as he stepped back from Grim. She wondered if he could feel the annoyance of the horse from being touched. “Mountain ponies are a wonderful breed. Strong, durable, it’s a shame what the north folk do with them.”
Grim’s memory of his herd being driven off the edge of the ravine suddenly struck her. In a way she had been there, she had seen it, and it still didn’t make sense.
“Why do they do it sir? Why do they kill so many of the horses, it seemed… senseless.”
“Well, to you and me it may seem senseless, but to the north folk… well, they have their reasons. You see they don’t only use the breed as beast of burden, they also use them as a food source.”
“They eat them?” Kile exclaimed, the thought of eating such an animal was barbaric, or at least it was to her.
“You have to understand Kile that different cultures have different beliefs, different values. You’ll realize this when you become a hunter, when you see first hand how other people live. Things that you take for granted, or think revolting, may be prized among other community. Don’t be so quick to judge other civilizations based upon your own yardstick, they seldom measure up… or down. I am sure that there are things that we do that can equally be considered strange or uncivilized to other cultures.”
“Yes sir.”
“You better get back to the stables and brush him down… there’s quite a lot to brush there.”
“Yes sir.”
“And you are going to take full responsibility for this horse?”
“Yes sir.”
Latherby ginned “Good, then I’m sure Luke has some repair work for you to do when you get back to the stables.” He said as he walked off. Somehow she was not comfortable with that grin.
She rode Grim back down to the road and up to the western gates. The guards watched nervously as she passed, she just gave them a slight smile and a wave as they continued on. It wasn’t until she reached the stables that she realized what Latherby had hinted at. One of the stable doors was hanging on by one hinge as it clung to a splintered wall, the other door had been completely torn off and was now propped up against the side of the building, a large platter sized hole marked the center. Pieces of wood and debris littered the ground around the opening.
“Grim.”
-The door wasn’t open.-
Grim replied in that unapologetic tone that she was starting to get used to.
“So you walked through it?”
***~~~***
7
Winter had come sooner than expected as the first snow fell late in the evening and didn’t stop for two days. The academy on the other hand, continued as usual. The training moved from the physical to the academicals as weapons were put on hold until the spring thaw and books were kept well in hand, of which Kile was eternally grateful. It was a lot harder to be injured by a book than it was by a swo
rd, unless Voreing decided to throw it. It was something that he occasionally did when a cadet gave the wrong answer during class, or worse, asked the wrong questions. She had been on the receiving end of a few of those books, but they were easily dodged.
Master Pike wasn’t ready to risk the horses in the snow even if the cadet’s were. His evaluation of the skill level of the class as a hole was less than glowing, and had moved their training into the stables and instructed the cadets on the upkeep and care of their mounts.
The cadets in general began to migrate toward the Dining halls during the evening hours to suffer the cold nights in the only warmth that the academy had to offer. All in all, everything was running about normal, until two days before winter’s feast.
This was the first year that Kile was actually looking forward to the festival, this was also the first year she knew about it in advance, and unfortunately this was also going to be the one that she would always remember.
The morning started like every other morning had started, with the tolling of the bell by Master West. Kile was already up and dressed as she waited in her cell until the last possible moment, not wishing to leave the warmth that Morgan’s floating ball of fire provided for her, but there was no postponing the inevitable. She closed the ball in its metal box, set it on the chest of draws and told Vesper to behave before venturing out into the hall. By this time the dorms were mostly empty, as only a very few determined cadets were willing to brave the cold for the sake of their privacy. She often wondered if Morgan hadn’t handed out more of those floating balls of fire than just the one he had given her. Seeing the guilty looks on the faces of some of the cadets that emerged from their cells for roll call was a strong indication that he might have.
She pulled her brother’s hat down around her ears, it was either getting smaller, or her head was getting bigger, either way it was the only protection she had from the cold, aside from the winter cloak that was really too threadbare to keep the chill at bay. She took a deep breath charged out into the snow with half a dozen other cadets that were equally reluctant to brave the winter morning. The cold was a shock to her system as she stood waiting, jumping from one foot to the other in a vain attempt to keep warm. More cadets began to file out from the Dinning halls as they came down the hill and took their place within the field. If nothing else, the shear number of cadets standing around provided some physical warmth as well as shielding her from the winter winds.
