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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 11:36:20 GMT -6
"Sal, Sal... I'm okay. I'm okay." He repeated the phrase, leaning forward to pet her neck, patting her on the sides. It was obvious she was not trying to throw him off - actually she was being very careful - but she was clearly unsettled. Her nostrils flared, and he saw her look to the ground, then actually bow her head to sniff around, as if she was looking for something. Something. Blood. He knew. Azrie shuddered.
"Ah, come on. It's a beautiful day. You want to spend it in the kennel, or do you want to be out running?" he teased her again. The ground was clear. There was nothing to find. Slowly, she began to settle. It had been one instance - one terrible, traumatizing instance - but just one, compared to the hundreds of times before. Those had to count for more, didn't they?
And, at last, she was still. Sal snorted, turned her head halfway to look at him, and Azrie smiled. "Yeah. Good girl. We're okay."
Azrie: 0.5 Sal: 4.0, 11.0
Carry Rider: 10
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Post by Azrie on Aug 9, 2024 11:11:47 GMT -6
There was a moment there where they each took a breath. Each of them was trying to read the other. Each wanted to be sure the other was okay before they would completely relax. Azrie looked for Sal's signs again. She wasn't calm, but she was doing better. He had to remember she was doing the same thing to him, and she was good at it.
So he would relax. The mammalian drew a deliberately deep and exaggerated breath, extending his arms out to the sides in a huge stretch. Unfortunately, that movement was a little overzealous, and his body made that known immediately. A pulling, aching pain suddenly began to blossom in his core, and he gasped involuntarily.
Sal panicked. She whinnied, beginning to spin and stomp around. She was looking for danger where there was none, and because she couldn't find the cause of his pain, she bolted.
Azrie: 0.6 Sal: 4.2, 11.2
Stop: 1
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Post by Azrie on Aug 9, 2024 23:25:17 GMT -6
One of Azrie's hands was pressed to his stomach to suppress the ache, and the other - thankfully - had a quick enough reflex to grab onto a handful of her mane as she took off. His riding instincts braced his legs and feet against her sides. But using those muscles was enough to worsen his pain, and her bouncing gait - especially when he didn't have any tack to rely on - was really not helping either.
If a single sound came out of his mouth that wasn't reassuring, this situation was going to get further out of control. Where were they even going? "Sal --" The equillion was taking him along a walking path some other way than the way they had come. This place wasn't familiar enough to her yet. This kennel wasn't home. "Sal, whoa," he tried, but a stray kid chose that moment to throw a ball for her pet near the path.
Azrie: 0.7 Sal: 4.4, 11.4
Stop: 2
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Post by Azrie on Aug 10, 2024 18:30:44 GMT -6
Sal whinnied again and picked up speed. Now, she split off of the path and crashed onward across the grass. Oh gods. Azrie groaned. At least he was astride her when this happened. And at least he couldn't hear his own groan over the thundering of her hooves. Maybe he'd be able to get away with a wince now. Always look at the bright side, right?
"Sal, whoa! Come on, girl," he tried to encourage the equillion. But the old words alone did not seem to be enough to persuade her. Or maybe she couldn't hear him. There were too many foreign sights and sounds. Just ahead, some kind of massive, flaming canine suddenly crested the hill. An instant later, its keepers followed. It was leashed. It was not charging them. But Azrie could see a shift in Sal's motion, and he took advantage of it. "Sal, whoa!" he shouted, and this time pulled back on her mane, not so hard as to hurt, but not so softly as to be ignored.
Azrie: 0.8 Sal: 4.6, 11.6
Stop: 3
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Post by Azrie on Aug 10, 2024 18:38:46 GMT -6
And she stopped. Well, that was kinda relative. She also reared up, tossing her head and crying out, making it known to this bizarre beast ahead that she was not going to be messed with. Azrie threw himself forward, clinging desperately to her mane and her neck to avoid being thrown off. She was really putting a lot of trust in his ability to ride bareback. On one hand, it was nice and felt a little like the old days. On the other, he kind of wished she wouldn't have quite so much faith in him. The mammalian gritted his teeth as she landed again. It felt like he'd been punched, maybe by a murp at full speed. His eyes turned down to his dark shirt, and he pulled it tight. No darker stain. He was okay. He drew a couple of slow, shallow breaths. "Good girl, Sal," he managed to reassure her.
The fiery canine did not seem to care much for her antics.
Azrie: 0.9 Sal: 4.8, 11.8
Stop: 4
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Post by Azrie on Aug 10, 2024 18:57:22 GMT -6
The keeper was giving Azrie and equillion a wary look, seemingly wondering if he truly had her under control. He offered her a casual wave. "She's rambunctious this morning," he laughed dismissively. "Beautiful animal you've got there." But was it? How did she have that under control? It looked like some creature from a nightmare. But that didn't seem as polite to say, so he didn't.
Once the encounter had been calmly resolved, and the woman and canine were on their way, he looked down to Sal. "We're okay, right?" But then, since they were in a public place, a stranger with a little slynk in his arms started to pass by on the foot path. Immediately, Sal began to turn to move away from him. "Ah!" Azrie reacted quickly, tugging back gently on her mane. "Whoa." And that was it. She remembered. She stopped. He grinned. "Good girl, Sal."
Azrie: 1.0 Sal: 5.0, 12.0
Stop: 5
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Post by Azrie on Aug 10, 2024 19:14:40 GMT -6
But there were a lot of distractions here in the park. He could see that plainly enough. It was a gorgeous day, and the people of the city were out en masse. Personally, Azrie liked a bustling, busy environment. If he had his way, he'd be out mingling, maybe asking to pet the colorful vulti he had seen back... wherever that had been. For Sal... it was a little hard to say if an equillion could be in favor of social settings, but she hadn't been so reactive in them before. Now, he was thinking he had been correct in choosing the quiet, out of the way spot that he had for the start of their training. Of course, they were nowhere near it now.
He twisted around in the saddle. Apparently they'd made it farther than he'd thought. That was okay. They could practice on the way. "Sal," he caught her attention, and he nudged her with his right heel.
Azrie: 0.1 Sal: 5.2, 12.2
Turn Right/Left: 1
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Post by Azrie on Aug 11, 2024 19:28:10 GMT -6
Her head turned toward him sharply, as if she thought he was swatting a fly off of her side, or just trying to get her attention. Then she began looking around the scene to her right, watching the poor man and his slynk receding. Azrie stared back to her expectantly. The equillion did not move further. "Has it been that long since we rode bareback?" he teased her. "Or are you just that scared of a slynk? Come on, Sal." He nudged her right side again. This time, as an extra aid, he patted her neck on the right side as well.
This seemed to do it. She turned, and he was relieved, until she stopped after pivoting only a quarter of the way. "You're distracted, Sal. Come onnn..." he urged her, nudging a little more emphatically. At last, she completed the rotation, facing back the way they had come.
Azrie: 0.2 Sal: 5.4, 12.4
Turn Right/Left: 2
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 16:22:50 GMT -6
"Good girl, Sal." The mammalian ran his hand along down her mane, combing it with his fingers. Turning around like this was what he had meant for her to do, but it still seemed like she was so hesitant. It took persuasion and time and repetition that it never had before. It wasn't like she had totally forgotten; he didn't have a lot of experience with training critters, but she when she responded, it was with enough intent for him to believe that the training wasn't totally gone. It was just that anxiety...
"Okay, before we go, you gotta prove to me you can do this, huh? This should be the easy stuff." Azrie nudged her on the left side. She took one step to the left. "Sal! Nah, come on." He nudged more insistently and finally, she tore her eyes away from the slynk-man and rotated them towards the left.
Azrie: 0.3 Sal: 5.6, 12.6
Turn Right/Left: 3
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 17:34:26 GMT -6
"That's more like it!" he cheered her on. She snorted in response, stomping one foot, and Azrie laughed. He wished he could speak with her. He'd heard rumors of magical items in the City that would allow such a thing, but he guessed they'd be well out of his price range. And he was being responsible with money nowadays. He had to be. Besides, he could well enough guess what was going through her mind. He didn't need magic to spell it out for him.
Though he had to admit that having something like that would've been nice back when... it happened. If he had been able to explain anything to her, to promise her he was alright, to tell her he was only going to be gone for a few weeks... Okay, maybe he'd go shopping later. The idea was growing on him.
He nudged her to the right again.
Azrie: 0.4 Sal: 5.8, 12.8
Turn Right/Left: 4
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 17:40:24 GMT -6
Almost eagerly, she obeyed, turning back towards the right. He suspected from that and how antsy she was in general all of the sudden that she recognized that the quieter part of the park where they had come from lay ahead. Maybe that was what she needed... or maybe it was exactly what she didn't. Maybe there was a fine line between soothing her fears and avoiding them. Maybe he needed to encourage her to step out of her comfort zone, somewhat literally in this case.
"Okay, Sal. Left again," he decided, bumping his other heel into her side. She hesitated just one longing moment before turning back and away. This time, she continued turning until he removed the pressure. "Atta girl. You're doing great. You know that, right?" She'd earned a treat several times over, but she'd been so nervous before now he wasn't sure she would've accepted it.
Azrie: 0.5 Sal: 6.0, 13.0
Turn Right/Left: 5
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 17:56:31 GMT -6
So... to get her the treat. Azrie began squirming, trying to balance on her back but also reposition himself enough that he could get in his pocket. Okay, maybe with one leg hooked like this, or... no. This would've been a lot easier with a saddle. Damn, his pants were tight. It was taking so long that Sal swiveled her head around to stare him down. In the look she was giving him, he was glad he didn't have the magical means to hear what she was thinking.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Aha!" He finally pried the bag loose. Maybe she'd earned an extra treat for her patience. He shook them into his palm. "Okay, Sal." He leaned forward, offering her his palm. They'd done this enough before. For just a moment there, he had another glimpse into the good old days. A sappy smile lingered on his face as he pulled his empty hand back.
Azrie: 0.6 Sal: 6.2, 13.2
Go: 1
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 18:14:48 GMT -6
Yeah, it had been weeks since everything had happened, and things had been rough every day since. But those days had been recovery days. Now, this was their first day of a fresh start in the City. And for one day, he was feeling pretty good about things. He'd been so apprehensive when they'd gotten here. He'd been worried that some things, once broken, couldn't be fixed.
Frankly, maybe he didn't deserve a second chance. Even saying a 'second' chance was generous. He was probably on eight, or more. Actually counting would be depressing, so he didn't. Maybe he'd do that some night when he couldn't sleep instead. But this was only his first chance at a second chance with Sal. She'd been the constant for him. Maybe that was what it was. It hurt that much worse when it came after so long. But it seemed like she was willing to forgive him.
Azrie: 0.7 Sal: 6.4, 13.4
Go: 2
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 18:27:01 GMT -6
And if that was true, it wouldn't do him any good to hold onto it either. Of course, that was a hell of a lot easier said than done. One step at a time. Literally, today. "Alright, Sal." Azrie sat up a little straighter, bracing himself for whatever was about to come. "Yah." But Sal did not want to 'yah'. She whinnied and began to turn to the right again, to head back towards the territory that had already been charted.
"Ah!" he called out immediately, to correct her. "Come on, Sal. Not that way." She was protesting, though it was respectfully done. It was a polite request, the made in the only way she could manage to make it. "I know. We'll go back. But first we're going this way." He nudged her sides until she had turned to face the unknown. The weird flaming canine had gone this way.
Azrie: 0.8 Sal: 6.6, 13.6
Go: 3
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Post by Azrie on Aug 13, 2024 18:34:24 GMT -6
He couldn't exactly blame her for not wanting to follow. He wasn't totally sure he wanted to go that way, either. But that's why it was good for them. "You were running this way all on your own earlier, anyway, and we're fine. Come on, it'll be nice and easy. Just a calm walk in the park." This time he bumped her sides with both heels simultaneously. "Yah." The equillion whinnied once, wanting to voice her displeasure at least once more before, reluctantly, she stepped forward.
Azrie held his breath. He didn't want to jinx it. He didn't want to make a move or a sound that would spook her now. So he let her take a few slow, steady paces. Then he reached forward, petting her gently on the neck. He timed his movements with the beats of her hooves. Slow... calm... "That's it," he said softly. "That's it."
Azrie: 0.9 Sal: 6.8, 13.8
Go: 4
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