Chap. 106 The Beautiful Horse

Chap. 106  The Beautiful Horse

K'ndar was about to leave Landing when Sisi, one of Francie's fire lizards, flew from her perch atop Francie's green dragon and chirped.  

She wants you to follow her Raventh said.

"Hello, little one, do you want me to follow you?" he said to her. Her eyes whirled an affirmative green, amazingly contrasting with her green hide. 

I SAID she wanted that, didn't you hear me?

I know, I know, it's okay, my brother,I have to let them know I understood what she wanted. Thank you for your help

In the private portion of his mind, the one he worked very hard to keep from Raventh, he wondered at the dragon's sudden testiness.

I'm not testy, whatever that means

Hmmm. Maybe that "private" compartment was leaky.

As he followed the green, he said

It means, short tempered. Irritated.  Are you angry with me?

No. One of the golds here is about to rise and I….I want to try and mate, but…

Hmmmm.

But?

The bronzes have already told me to stay on the ground, there are three of them here right now

Maybe we should go home?

How irresponsible, he thought, that someone had her gold here on the verge of mating. She should be home in her own weyr.

It's okay. I'll still rise. I just don't think I'll have the chance

Someday you will. There are a lot of greens around

I know. But it makes me feel sad that Siskin got to mate before I did. Doesn't seem fair

What??? Siskin?

Yes

Siskin mated?

Yes 

Who?

Putzu

Oh, shards. It could only have been when he and Terylin were out on the steppe. He HAD noticed Siskin acting a trifle too friendly to Putzu, who, when in heat, ordinarily wouldn't have given a blue the time of day. But...any male would do when a green was in heat.

I wonder if Terylin knows. I wonder if she'll be angry. But what could we do to prevent it?

Um. Well, if it makes you feel better, I haven't had a chance to mate, either

Raventh laughed, his irritation dropping away to reveal his normal self.

It does make me feel better

You go ahead and try, but I don't want to be a Weyrleader, okay?

She's not from here. She's from North. I think she's from Igen.  She wants to go home to her home, too. She doesn't want any of the bronzes here. 

K'ndar found himself being led to the barn.

Oh, it's okay. Here comes her rider now. She's running and telling the gold to hold on, let's go home.

K'ndar laughed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an enormous gold dragon take wing, with a woman still scrambling to buckle into the harness.

You could feel the tension drain from the atmosphere as the male dragons relaxed.

Sisi wheedled a welcome to Francie, who was emerging from the barn, the reins of the Most Beautiful Horse on Pern in her hands.

K'ndar had to stop and take it in. 

"By the egg, that's a gorgeous beast," he sighed. 

"Aye, he is, K'ndar. He's got the best mind, too. I saw Raventh in the dragon paddock and thought you might…might like to try him?"

She stopped in front of him. The black-he was more black than bay, K'ndar could see, hadn't a thing wrong with him. 

"Francie…you can't imagine how..how badly I wanted this horse. Even though I've not the time to ride one. In fact, I gave my sister my horse, and still, there's a part of me that wishes I hadn't. This is the first time in my life I've not had a horse, and haven't ridden in months."

"I know. I saw your sister ride. She was born in the saddle," Francie said. The black horse snuffled K'ndar's shoulder. "So I know YOU are probably better."

"And..and I am so glad YOU bought him. At least I can see him from time to time," he said, unable to tear his eyes from the horse. By the stars, those legs are perfect.

"K'ndar. Get on him. Please. I have the same problem YOU have-a hundred things to do and no time to ride him. He likes to work.  No matter what it is, he's up for it. I'm not doing him justice, but, like you, I couldn't see him going to someone who might not appreciate him for the horse he is. Please. Let's work together. Any time you're here and have the time, ride him. Please. He needs it."

She led the horse into the arena, which had been recently raked. There was always something enticing about a freshly groomed arena, all that expanse of neatly lined, pristine and unmarked footing, just begging for a hoofprint.

Turn down a chance to ride this horse? Not on your life.

She handed the reins to K'ndar. He breathed softly into the horse's nostrils, the way horses introduced themselves to each other. 

"Hello, my friend. You are a beauty, you know that? I'm sorry, I have no treats, but I'd bet you'd like a scratch?" He began to scratch the horse at the base of the withers. The horse responded with a neck stretch and quivering lips-he did want a scratching, yes, please.

"Sorry there's no saddle, I have to have one made for him. My one saddle doesn't fit him right."

"That's okay, I'd rather ride bareback, anyway. Better communication."

After several minutes, K'ndar led the horse to a mounting block. The black obediently stood still as K'ndar got on his back.

The familiar feel of muscle against muscle, the rise and fall of the horse's rib cage, was like second nature to K'ndar. Ahh. It'd been too long, he reflected, since he'd ridden. He was a Weyrling, the last time. 

He reached out with his mind to touch that of the horse. Horses were not telepathic, like dragons, but still, since man first mounted a horse, there was always the mental line of communication between the two minds, as long as the human knew how to open it-and was willing to hear what the horse had to say. 

"He's got the softest mouth," Francie said, looking up at him from the ground, "he doesn't need much hand at all."

"I don't doubt that, Francie, just sitting on him, it's incredible," he said. 

Then, with a knee, he asked the horse to move away from the block.

For the next half hour, he was in nirvana. The horse was perfect. Well, not quite perfect, but as smooth a ride as anyone could have hoped for. The reins were an afterthought. The slightest cue was all it took to get a response. Sometimes the response was a bit much, but this was a young, healthy horse that wanted to please. 

The time flew faster than a dragon could fly. When he realized he could probably ride the horse for a lifetime, he reluctantly returned to the block and dismounted.

Francie laughed. She'd been spellbound by K'ndar's riding. The man and the horse seemed to be one.  

"I can see you enjoyed it," she said, taking the reins.

"Oh," he sighed, "he's perfect. What a horse." He gave the gelding another withers scratch.

"If you truly mean I can ride him when I wish, I won't argue. I'd even pay you," he said, and she laughed again.

"Silly boy, are you crazy? I won't take a thing. Raylan doesn't have the time, nor, to be honest, the inclination. I mean, he can ride, without a doubt, but he's not…."

"Horse crazy? I understand," K'ndar said, still spellbound by the horse.

"And we both know how busy we dragonriders are. I don't want anyone else here riding him, but I trust you. I'd even love to see your sister ride him. I hope you don't mind?"

"Francie. Like I said, I'd pay you. Yes, please, I would like to ride him when I wish, I will always let you know before I do, though."

"That's fair," she said. She led the horse to the mounting block and mounted him.

"Ah, he's all nice and warmed up. I think I'll pop him over a few jumps, just for fun," she said.

"I've got to go, but, thank you, Francie. Thank you. By the way, what's his name?"

"It took me a while to figure one out. But it came to me in a dream, and I think it's a nice one. I call him Donal, after the mountain near Sweet Grass Hold, where I grew up.  If you've never seen it, it's beautiful, like him," she said, reminiscing.

"I've never heard of it," he said, "neither the Hold or the mountain," he said.

"Not surprising. Sweet Grass is fairly small, sort of equidistant between Lemos and Telgar, in the foothills of the Northern Barrier Range. We have the best of both worlds there, the mountains behind us and perfect conditions for raising horses. Perfect. One of these days, we'll fly up there. It's not steppe, you understand, but it's still fairly wild up there."

"Wild? Like with pronghorns? Are there lions up there?"

"Better," she said, "better. There are tigers. Snow tigers."