Half an Apple (March 3010) {Runa}
Dec 23, 2017 19:47:12 GMT -5
Post by Ceolmund on Dec 23, 2017 19:47:12 GMT -5
“Just like this. You're doing fine,” Ceolmund spoke softly as he stood behind Runa. She was tucked right against him, and he had an arm wrapped about the woman's stomach, gently stroking it with his thumb. His other large palm was over top the back of Runa's, and hand over hand, he was taking her fingertips along Tait's soft black neck. The horse's skin rippled with the touch.
Tait was not altogether docile and content at the moment. Her ears were flickering for her Master, yet the female with her Master, the Master Imposter as she was likened to think, smelled almost exactly the same, and they had stood the entire time so far as one person. It was confusing, and Tait could not decide if she was to be affronted or not. Master had brought Tiny Master with him several times in the evenings the past little while, and that had been just fine. Tiny Master knew her commands and had a keen eye for the beautiful majesty that Tait was. She would let the small child sit upon her back with no issue, and carry her carefully around the ring. Master had even let her ride solo the last time he had brought her. Tiny Master was a good rider, even for her size.
Tiny Master had been the prompting that Ceolmund had needed. The little girl had been with them a bit over a week and the new Father had never felt such a protective instinct as had come upon him those days. That urge had risen in him for Paega, and though he had felt it within him even before for Runa, it had become much greater for her as well. Ceolmund had been spending his days at the training grounds since the room in the house had been finished, yet each morning and evening was with his family. The mornings had often left Runa feeling quite unwell, so he was the one to bound out of bed at the sound of the toddler and get her readied and cared for while Runa tried to keep the nausea down. Every day he was greeted with the long scar on that tiny body as he helped her to dress. She was quite proud of her bravery scar now as it was, and Ceolmund was proud of her for bearing through it, and proud of Runa for managing to mend her.
Yet still, the thoughts of how she had come by it were heavy on his mind. Surely the orcs had come upon their home by surprise, as isolated as it had been in the countryside. Such a thing could not happen here in Edoras for there were walls and guards. Even every man of the Eorlingas need be taken out for duty, the duties of watching the wall would be divided between civilians. If every male was called out, the women would stand to protect hearth and home. Yet; if something came to pass… if there were need to ride. If it were necessary to protect Paega and their baby yet to come, and he were away, Runa would need make that decision, as she did not stand for only herself now. If there were a chance to ride away with their children, Ceolmund would wish her to take that chance. Sword at her side as it may be, horses hooves ran faster than orcs on foot. If Paega's Mother, the unnamed woman, though she now rested in Bema's Halls, had been given a warning or a chance, Ceolmund was certain she would have taken her children atop a horse to safety.
He could not force Runa to do a thing if he were not present, yet if she did not know how to ride she would have no option as it was. Still, it had not been a question or an open ended request when he had brought the subject up. He had asked her many times over the years to the stables with him, and though he had not known why in the past, there had always been an excuse or a deterrent to doing so. If he had asked her if she wanted to come, the answer would have been for certain, 'no'. He would have to simply inform her of what they would be doing. And so, he had made plans for Paega to spend some time with her grandparents, and had made Runa quite content and happy the night previous before telling her his fears and reasonings, and to let her know that this day he would be taking her for her first riding lesson. He knew she was afraid and why now, and he would be gentle with her.
“I think we should feed her the apple now,” Ceolmund stated.
Apple. Tait knew the word. Her ears flicked forward and she took a step to the side. She was within her stall still, and the humans were on the outside so there was no worry of hooves, but the horse nodded her great head in anticipation.
Ceolmund stepped back a few paces, to the center of the stable hall where no reaching horse heads could possibly stretch out and frighten his wife. He took the apple from his pocket and pulled the knife off his belt to cut the fruit in half. It was dried and a bit withered for the end of winter, but Tait would not care. In fact, Tait was quite excited, and had lifted her head. She was never gifted treats without reason. They were saved for the special occasion of when they returned from their long journeys with the Eored. Even Tiny Master had not brought her treats.
“Half for now, and the other half once she takes us around the ring. We will only take five circles around, as I promised, and then put her away for the night so she can have the rest of this treat. The easiest apple she's ever earned… she'll like the second half even better… waiting on it and smelling it here the whole while makes it even sweeter, I imagine.” He laughed lightly, and the horse shifted in the stall waiting.
“Then I'll take you home. Paega will be baking with your Mother for a few hours yet, but I'm sure we can find a way to pass the time ourselves.” Ceolmund placed the half apple in Runa's hand, wrapping the other half in a cloth and putting it back to his pocket for now. Tait's eyes were on him; she would know there was more to come. Then, Ceolmund raised a hand to brush down Runa's cheek and along her neck, tracing the metal chain of the locket necklace she always wore. “A ride for a ride?” he whispered to her, a small curl at the corner of his lip. “I'll make sure they are both very good. The second one will be... even better,” he promised, his voice low as he tried to make his words a sweet apple dangled in front of her. “Trust me.”
It was all set, and was going to be simple and easy. Ceolmund had asked Ulfrekr to have Tait saddled and ready, though he had not told him why. The man could never be trusted to keep his mouth shut about a thing again. Of course, Ceolmund had an inkling that anyone who looked upon Runa might see her nervousness and figure it out, but, he would pay them no mind unless they bothered her over the matter. He took the woman back to his arms and drew her back to the side of Tait's stall. “Hold it on your palm flat,” he instructed, taking Runa's wrist to raise the treat up to the horse's reach.
Tait was not altogether docile and content at the moment. Her ears were flickering for her Master, yet the female with her Master, the Master Imposter as she was likened to think, smelled almost exactly the same, and they had stood the entire time so far as one person. It was confusing, and Tait could not decide if she was to be affronted or not. Master had brought Tiny Master with him several times in the evenings the past little while, and that had been just fine. Tiny Master knew her commands and had a keen eye for the beautiful majesty that Tait was. She would let the small child sit upon her back with no issue, and carry her carefully around the ring. Master had even let her ride solo the last time he had brought her. Tiny Master was a good rider, even for her size.
Tiny Master had been the prompting that Ceolmund had needed. The little girl had been with them a bit over a week and the new Father had never felt such a protective instinct as had come upon him those days. That urge had risen in him for Paega, and though he had felt it within him even before for Runa, it had become much greater for her as well. Ceolmund had been spending his days at the training grounds since the room in the house had been finished, yet each morning and evening was with his family. The mornings had often left Runa feeling quite unwell, so he was the one to bound out of bed at the sound of the toddler and get her readied and cared for while Runa tried to keep the nausea down. Every day he was greeted with the long scar on that tiny body as he helped her to dress. She was quite proud of her bravery scar now as it was, and Ceolmund was proud of her for bearing through it, and proud of Runa for managing to mend her.
Yet still, the thoughts of how she had come by it were heavy on his mind. Surely the orcs had come upon their home by surprise, as isolated as it had been in the countryside. Such a thing could not happen here in Edoras for there were walls and guards. Even every man of the Eorlingas need be taken out for duty, the duties of watching the wall would be divided between civilians. If every male was called out, the women would stand to protect hearth and home. Yet; if something came to pass… if there were need to ride. If it were necessary to protect Paega and their baby yet to come, and he were away, Runa would need make that decision, as she did not stand for only herself now. If there were a chance to ride away with their children, Ceolmund would wish her to take that chance. Sword at her side as it may be, horses hooves ran faster than orcs on foot. If Paega's Mother, the unnamed woman, though she now rested in Bema's Halls, had been given a warning or a chance, Ceolmund was certain she would have taken her children atop a horse to safety.
He could not force Runa to do a thing if he were not present, yet if she did not know how to ride she would have no option as it was. Still, it had not been a question or an open ended request when he had brought the subject up. He had asked her many times over the years to the stables with him, and though he had not known why in the past, there had always been an excuse or a deterrent to doing so. If he had asked her if she wanted to come, the answer would have been for certain, 'no'. He would have to simply inform her of what they would be doing. And so, he had made plans for Paega to spend some time with her grandparents, and had made Runa quite content and happy the night previous before telling her his fears and reasonings, and to let her know that this day he would be taking her for her first riding lesson. He knew she was afraid and why now, and he would be gentle with her.
“I think we should feed her the apple now,” Ceolmund stated.
Apple. Tait knew the word. Her ears flicked forward and she took a step to the side. She was within her stall still, and the humans were on the outside so there was no worry of hooves, but the horse nodded her great head in anticipation.
Ceolmund stepped back a few paces, to the center of the stable hall where no reaching horse heads could possibly stretch out and frighten his wife. He took the apple from his pocket and pulled the knife off his belt to cut the fruit in half. It was dried and a bit withered for the end of winter, but Tait would not care. In fact, Tait was quite excited, and had lifted her head. She was never gifted treats without reason. They were saved for the special occasion of when they returned from their long journeys with the Eored. Even Tiny Master had not brought her treats.
“Half for now, and the other half once she takes us around the ring. We will only take five circles around, as I promised, and then put her away for the night so she can have the rest of this treat. The easiest apple she's ever earned… she'll like the second half even better… waiting on it and smelling it here the whole while makes it even sweeter, I imagine.” He laughed lightly, and the horse shifted in the stall waiting.
“Then I'll take you home. Paega will be baking with your Mother for a few hours yet, but I'm sure we can find a way to pass the time ourselves.” Ceolmund placed the half apple in Runa's hand, wrapping the other half in a cloth and putting it back to his pocket for now. Tait's eyes were on him; she would know there was more to come. Then, Ceolmund raised a hand to brush down Runa's cheek and along her neck, tracing the metal chain of the locket necklace she always wore. “A ride for a ride?” he whispered to her, a small curl at the corner of his lip. “I'll make sure they are both very good. The second one will be... even better,” he promised, his voice low as he tried to make his words a sweet apple dangled in front of her. “Trust me.”
It was all set, and was going to be simple and easy. Ceolmund had asked Ulfrekr to have Tait saddled and ready, though he had not told him why. The man could never be trusted to keep his mouth shut about a thing again. Of course, Ceolmund had an inkling that anyone who looked upon Runa might see her nervousness and figure it out, but, he would pay them no mind unless they bothered her over the matter. He took the woman back to his arms and drew her back to the side of Tait's stall. “Hold it on your palm flat,” he instructed, taking Runa's wrist to raise the treat up to the horse's reach.