A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

With a slight raise of Oliver's sleeve, he showed Nelson the other apple he had hidden in there. "I think we can treat Casper to two today, eh?"

"Ohhh, the horse is getting spoiled, he is," Nelson said, though he was smiling as he said it. He had a great fondness for Casper, and it showed. He was always sneaking the horse treats, but he was careful to never let him have too much, lest it affect the horse's weight.

In that, Nelson seemed to have struck the perfect balance, for there was no healthier-looking horse in the entirety of the stable block.

Whenever Oliver took Casper out riding, he was proud to do so. Though it wasn't his horse, he was proud all the same. The horse's black coat shone like a mirror, and every part of him was immaculately groomed. That was Nelson's work, but the fact still remained, that Casper himself, even without all the tending, was a beautiful animal.

He was still a little too large for Oliver, having been made for a bigger man, but by now, Oliver had grown used to him. He'd been around often enough that Nelson no longer felt the need to watch over the two of them as he rode. It had only taken three sessions of that before the stablehand was convinced that Casper was in good hands.

Oliver's progression – as far as he saw it – in regards to riding, wasn't dramatic. Not after that first day. At least, it didn't feel so to him. The first day had been the real significant turning point, establishing a solid start for himself.

All the other days that followed had been merely building on that, learning the sorts of quirks of riding that couldn't be explained, but rather had to be felt, as his body learned to deal with them.

It was those quirks, really, more than anything else, that he was training. He would simply allow Casper to walk around the snowy paddock, until they were both comfortable and warm enough, both of them feeling each other's movements out, getting a sense for each other. With each day that passed, that starting process needed to be lesser, as man and beast fell in tune with each other.

And then, when they both felt quite ready, They would begin a slow trot.

Here, Oliver allowed Casper to play. He spoke to the animal through his reins, and even more so through Ingolsol's senses.

After returning from that weekend in Solgrim, to see Casper after a number of days, it was that sense that he put to work immediately, as he'd been applying it to all things. It was a secondary perspective, something more powerful than he'd been able to really grasp before.

Atop Casper, it felt as though he could really get an understanding from the animal, when he looked to him through Ingolsol's eyes. Their starting connection that day was established even faster than any other day. They processed quickly towards a trot, and soon enough, Casper was happily lopping about the paddock, confident in his footing, and seemingly confident in Oliver on his back.

The two of them were of the same mind, after all.

And then Oliver urged Casper faster, gradually building him towards a gallop. Rarely did he feel bold enough to try a gallop, even getting as comfortable with the horse as he was, but that day, Oliver was confident enough to really commit to it.

"This paddock is too small," Oliver said to himself. He thought that was his thought, but it was more a translation of the tiny budding frustration that he felt from Casper. Already, after only a few seconds of galloping, the horse was forced to do a steep turn back through the trees. Those were the most frightening parts – those high-speed turns.

Oliver knew it was coming, though, and he flattened himself forward in the saddle, lowering his centre of gravity, making it easier on himself.

With a swiftness, they turned the corner, and were soon firing back in another direction, just as fast as before, Casper's great legs rippling beneath them. Faster and faster they went, both of them confident in the wants of the other. Oliver could feel when he was holding the reins too tightly, or when he was steering Casper in a direction that the horse didn't want to go.

The trick to horse riding, Oliver was beginning to feel, was mutual decisions. Though, generally, the rider would decide their direction, that wasn't to say that he was in control all the way. The horse would pick its own steps on the small level, choosing how to avoid the smaller of the obstacles.

The better that Oliver could understand those wants of Casper's in his movements, the better he could adjust his own position to facilitate them, and the more cooperative the two of them were being.

Together, they did three whole laps of the paddock, before Oliver eased the horse back to a trot. By then, Casper was sweating, and Oliver too found himself breathing heavily. Though he hadn't been the one running, it had still taken a significant amount of concentration for him to be able to keep to the saddle at that high a speed.

Yet, he'd done it. Both him and Casper were more than pleased about that. It was a significant milestone, after all. In a sense, it marked the completion of his beginner-level horse training, though Oliver didn't see it quite like that. The riding learning, he knew, wouldn't be over until he could ride for long distances at a time with hardly any wear on himself.

Given how much a gallop had taken out of him, he knew that he still had a long way to go.

…

…

After the horse, there came Skullic – a fact that the General was none too happy about – and by that point, it had already passed dark. Oliver had stolen into the dining hall early, given the liberty by his schedule that was freer than most. He ate alone, on mostly empty benches, eating his fill, knowing that if he left his eating any later, he'd have been left hungry in his meeting with Skullic.