shri | FADE RIFT [INBOX]

[ Kitty, who's spent the last four years of her life balancing on gables and shimmying up drainpipes and slipping down chimneys, is not terribly challenged by this order. ]

All right.

Now jump with the leg on the ground, push down with the one the stirrup and once you're at the height you need, swing your leg over the other side.

[Because it was that easy, of course. ]

[ But it's fairly intuitive - and pretty natural for a thief like her. She bites her lip nervously - eyeing the horse skeptically - but then pushes, twists, and settles, rather gracefully sitting atop the saddle. ]

Oh.

[ By her face, she's a little alarmed and creeped out by the sensation of being on top of a living creature, but - she's there. ]

[ she pets the horse's nose to keep it steady as Kitty gets ready to move - adjusts to it. A warm earnest smile when she does it. Effort always ought to be rewarded, and she's a little pleased. City children did not always respond so well to animals. ]

Well done. Your first attempt too. Most do not always manage it so well.

[ She would always encourage even the smallest sign of bravery, trying. But still, on with the instruction, coming around the side. Unravelling the reigns over her leather gloves as she goes. ]

Your form is good. But keep your heels down, press into the stirrup. [ As she gets closer, she holds up the reigns for her to take. ]

Edited 2018-07-10 04:56 (UTC)

Oh. Well.

[ Kitty gives an little half-laugh in response to the praise, a bit more awkward than pleased. Encouragement isn't really something she knows what to do with. ]

Erm - like - do I have to stand up, then?

[ She demonstrates by half standing in the saddle. ]

Sometimes, but we will get to that. For now, just make sure your feet stay in the stirrups, that can be harder than it seems.

[ She catches herself a little - when do I stand up like you?, Anand had been so eager - swallows, keep moving. Keeping pressing on. Her hands stay on the reigns a little longer as she jostles them with a tug.

Obediently, the horse starts to walk, easy, easy, easy, one foot in front of another - letting her get used to it by herself as they go in the odd backwards-forwards dance of horse, rider and handler, and out of the stable. Out into the fresh, open air. Warm here, maybe not as warm the desert, but pleasant weather for a ride. ] Make sure you're comfortable.

[ Because once they are free of the building, and walked a little further into the courtyard of the Gallows, she passes the reigns to Kitty directly to hold. Not much in the way of explanation, one more check over everything, a brief whistle to a stable hand to tell him that they were heading out. Then she moves closer herself. Her hand hooking on the saddle horn, and vaults herself the same way - if without the use of the stirrups. To sit right behind Kitty, hooking her arm around her waist to snag the reigns off her once more. ] Still holding on?

Still holding on.

[ Kitty sounds just a little bit stressed (there's still quite a bit of mistrust for the large, deadly beast beneath her) but she's doing well enough. She's keeping steady in spite of the swaying of the creature - well. At least until Lakshmi jumps up behind her. Then she goes a little tense; even though Lakshmi has amply proved herself, Kitty is still a bit nervous of anyone at her back. ]

I suppose it gets harder.

It can. But we'll start you off getting comfortable. Hands on the reigns, eyes forward, and I will make sure we do not go off a cliff.

[ And with that, she gives a firm kick to the horse's flank. Enough to spur the animal forward into an even walk. ]

Towards the gate. Remember - firm, but not hard. She will listen.

[ Uncertainly - ]

So I...move the reins?

Mmmh. Tug with the hand you want to turn on the side of.

[ And she trusts her, at least, to be able to follow along with the rest. Even if they do wander around in a circle too long. But even so, she leans around, making sure that her chin stayed above Kitty's shoulder to find her hand and show her the pressure she needed to pull with to get the horse to listen. ]

It feels - weird.

[ She sounds a little uneasy with it, even as she does tug. ]

Controlling it.

[ She laughs, not meanly. ] How times have changed, then. I could not imagine wanting anything more when I was your age.

[ Because you look so much older, Lakshmi, anyway - ]

It becomes second nature, and you will need to adjust, I'm afraid. But the Inquisition treats their horses well, you can have that much peace of mind.

Can any treatment be good when captivity is involved?

[ She gives a sigh immediately after saying that, though, shaking her head. ]

I guess it's just a stupid horse.

An animal, any animal, is your family. I do not suppose all of them are happy, as not all families are happy ones. But if you mistake calling love, care and affection from a horse as stupidity, you betray yourself as even more the idiot.

[ she will tug you by the ear Kitty if you ever hear you say that again. As it is, she reaches forward, tugging at the horse's reigns to still the horse before they go any further. Stopping them, right then and there. ]

So you should apologise to her, for she is giving you the benefit of her trust and sweet temper.

What?

[ Kitty half turns around to shoot Lakshmi a look of are-you-crazy. ]

I don't think it loves me when I'm climbing up on it and making it take me places.

She trusts you. Or else she would have bucked you off and trampled you. They are want to do that, from time to time.

[ It's firm, not even slightly back down. ]

Apologise.

To the horse?

[ One long, unrelenting blink. ]

Yes.

Does the horse speak English, then?

[ Probably, there is a servant somewhere, laughing. But for the moment - ]

It could speak the language of the Gods, for all it matters. [ It's gritted, leaning back that little to look at her directly. ] Respect to those that work hard for you, whether you think it is ridiculous or not, must always be given. What would you think, if I, when a servant who went out of their way to fulfil my request, threw it back in their face to say they were stupid just because they were doing what they were asked?

Frankly, they are stupid.

[ Kitty shakes her head, her expression turning fierce. ]

Anyone who lets themselves be forced to serve, anyone who lets themselves get ground under someone's heel and thanks them for it, loves them for it, is a complete blithering idiot.

For the love of - [ Right, they weren't getting out of here fast enough for the rest of that conversation. ] A canter, you say? Well, if you insist.

[ It's pitched, a little higher and louder than what they had just said. Probably too paranoid by far, but it had never been wrong to be too careful. She snags her arm around her waist. Locking it hard, to keep the reigns balled in her fist. The goal was at least a straight line. Out of the main keep, down and around the many winding paths. Until there were marginally fewer people around before she slows the horse, down from the canter, to a walk. Then onwards a little further until she's quite sure they're out of sight, and can be excused as having done nothing more than having had an impromptu lesson. Relenting a little. A little out of breath when it's over but even so - ]

Watch your tongue.

[ Kitty's temper is flaring - she goes tense at the grip, and doesn't fight it only because she's still scared of the horse and what it can do. Not scared of Lakshmi, though: soon as they stop, and Lakshmi scolds her, she cranes around to look the woman in the face. Her eyes flash, and her voice is a low snarl, as she says - ]

I'll watch what I want to watch, thank you. Just 'cause you're used to wearing silks and finery doesn't mean you can give me orders.

[ She flushes immediately afterwards, embarrassed and righteous by equal measure. She doesn't want to snap at Lakshmi, she likes Lakshmi, but that anger of hers is always there, and sometimes she can't rein it in. ]

Shall I beg then? I will hit my knees if that's what you want in all my gold, with my son's baby blanket in my hands, if that will make you listen. For that's the price I paid for my rebellion. I lost a son, my kingdom and my father, and worse to come - it was my people who would be butchered without end for the day I dared raised my voice and armies against ones not so different.

[ It's snapped back. Her own foul temper that got the better of her just the same - but age enough to let her swallow down a little, it hurts, maybe, if she was in the mind to let herself be hurt by much of anything ( always ) how fiercely she used to rage, was not so different to Kitty now. Declaring to her father all that she might have, declaring to the priest that she would never be parted from her husband. Swallowing all her pain to think that she at least, could never be parted from her Jhansi.

How Devi, young and all of her heart, would snap about how her Queen-Mother could be so fussy, so worrisome, so determined to protect her. ]

Do not let them hear you say those things.

[ Rebellion registers, but Kitty is still to taken with her own fury and hurt and history to tend to another person's. For the moment, at least. ]

If they're the sorts of people who'll kill me just for saying that, then they ought to go ahead and do it, 'cause then they don't deserve my help.

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I am so glad that this is the first thread in my inbox and we're going to break the whole damn entry

Same, same...

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