The Stables

Vel could feel the minds of the horses all round him. The knowledge he had been left with had said the minds of animals were simpler than those of humans, and there was truth to that, but they were certainly not simple. They were much less defended than human minds, that was for sure, their membrane was nearly non-existent. Their emotions still seemed every bit as deep and complex as those of humans, though there were fewer of them.

Veldred was a magnificent sight as always. His coal black coat and impressive stature combined to make him the very image of what a destrier should be. Two grooms were leading him, fully saddled and equipped, towards Vel. “I sure am glad you’re here, my lord. He’s always a bit moody when someone else handles him, but soon as he caught wind of ye he calmed right down he did.” Vel acknowledged that with a nod as he stroked Veldred’s muzzle. He did not tell them that, rather than his scent, it had been the presence of his mind that had calmed the pugnacious horse. As soon as he had entered the stables and reached out, he’d been able to pick out Veldred. Despite never having been conscious of their mental connection before, the destrier’s mind felt extremely familiar. The recognition had gone both ways. At the barest touch of their minds Veldred’s emotions had changed, and love, respect and pride had surged while annoyance and anger had nearly vanished. People often referred to horses, especially horses like Veldred, as proud animals. Vel now knew how right they were, this was a fiercely proud animal, one whose respect you had to earn.

The grooms helped him up into his custom saddle and assisted in buckling and strapping him in. Adeline was already all saddled up and waiting outside on her roan. It simply took a lot longer to get a horse like Veldred ready than it did a horse like Celina or even Glaweder. On top of that, Vel had insisted on bringing quite a bit of gear. He remembered his last ride and what he had promised himself, and so strapped to his saddle were his bow and a full quiver. His sword’s scabbard was attached to the saddle as well. He simply wasn’t well suited to wearing it on his hip, and it would be near useless to him when not ahorse anyway.

Meeting up with Adeline and Celina outside, Vel instinctively reached out for Celina’s mind and calmed her. This was the kind of thing he’d done in the past without realizing it, he assumed. He’d known that Veldred’s presence would intimidate and perhaps even scare the much smaller horse and had sought to counteract it without even thinking. So, while his gift was definitely a big part of why horses responded so well to him, his understanding of them played a part too. That pleased Vel greatly.

Adeline looked up at him with her mouth slightly agape. He resisted the urge to feel her mind with great effort. In her eyes he thought he saw awe, admiration, and something else he couldn’t quite place. He wanted to reach out and identify the mystery emotion, but even more so he wanted to see what awe looked like, he wanted to taste it. But this was Adi, he wouldn’t do it. “I’ve seen you riding that monster plenty of times before, but I’ll be ploughed if it doesn’t amaze me every time. You’re both impressive on your own, but when you’re together like this, wow. You look like you’re ready to conquer the world.” Those words struck a chord with something deep inside Vel. They felt good, they felt right. “Thanks Adi, that’s definitely one of the more creative compliments I’ve gotten. Or perhaps that we’ve gotten.” He patted Veldred’s flank. To his surprise, the horse must have understood either Adeline’s words or her tone and expression, as his pride and satisfaction increased. “I’ve gotta say, you and Celina don’t look too bad yourselves. Her coat really looks magical in sunlight. And you look cute as a button from up here.” Adeline blushed a little, but with her pale complexion she might as well have been glowing red. Again, Vel fought the temptation to observe her emotions. “We better get going, we’ve got a bit of a ride ahead of us after all.” Adeline agreed, and together they set off towards the estate’s gate.