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OOM post: Horses!
Aug. 5th, 2008 12:05 amThere was no doubt that Attila had chosen right, on sight, from the book. The horse he had picked was a joy to ride, smooth and steady and amazingly fast for such a simple, unassuming beast. So Teja, already certain of this one, had first tried the three others, to pick one, and now rode this one, in the unlikely case there was anything wrong with it.
There was not. The gelding was not a meek, docile animal, but one with his own opinion, but perfectly willing to cooperate once he realised his rider knew what he was doing. Then, he cheerfully went about their joint business with amazing speed and presence of mind. He responded nicely to Teja's leg and seat and had a soft mouth, accepting Teja's hand on the reins willingly.
So, Teja was quite decided now -- the dappled grey gelding, somewhat showier, and probably a bit difficult to handle, and this lovely dark brown creature with the pale dappled rump. He turned the horse back towards the house where Sallie Reynolds lived. It was on the top of a hill, such as it was -- not very high, but then, nothing in this place was very high. Something in the way the house overlooked the lands reminded Teja of the lay of the land around Witichis' villa rustica near Faesulae; and even though the hills were much gentler than in Tuscany, that familiarity put him at ease.
But, as if to remind him not to trust this alien world to easily, there were things about it that were strange -- the fire in the fireplace burned green, for example. And instead of a peristylium outside the house, there were large panes of glass that let you look over the property, towards the stables and the paddock where Teja had tried out the horses at first before asking to take this one for a somewhat longer ride.
There were no hedges or walls in this place, nor fences; either all the lands were Sallie's, or men would let their horses roam and trust each other to return those that roamed too far. It were good lands, and Teja approved, despite green fires and glass walls. But he would not tarry -- the passage for the horses, he had seen when he arrived, was ready. Even the table that one felt would belong in the kitchen was gone, to allow them to cross the unfamiliar indoors place without trouble.-
There was not. The gelding was not a meek, docile animal, but one with his own opinion, but perfectly willing to cooperate once he realised his rider knew what he was doing. Then, he cheerfully went about their joint business with amazing speed and presence of mind. He responded nicely to Teja's leg and seat and had a soft mouth, accepting Teja's hand on the reins willingly.
So, Teja was quite decided now -- the dappled grey gelding, somewhat showier, and probably a bit difficult to handle, and this lovely dark brown creature with the pale dappled rump. He turned the horse back towards the house where Sallie Reynolds lived. It was on the top of a hill, such as it was -- not very high, but then, nothing in this place was very high. Something in the way the house overlooked the lands reminded Teja of the lay of the land around Witichis' villa rustica near Faesulae; and even though the hills were much gentler than in Tuscany, that familiarity put him at ease.
But, as if to remind him not to trust this alien world to easily, there were things about it that were strange -- the fire in the fireplace burned green, for example. And instead of a peristylium outside the house, there were large panes of glass that let you look over the property, towards the stables and the paddock where Teja had tried out the horses at first before asking to take this one for a somewhat longer ride.
There were no hedges or walls in this place, nor fences; either all the lands were Sallie's, or men would let their horses roam and trust each other to return those that roamed too far. It were good lands, and Teja approved, despite green fires and glass walls. But he would not tarry -- the passage for the horses, he had seen when he arrived, was ready. Even the table that one felt would belong in the kitchen was gone, to allow them to cross the unfamiliar indoors place without trouble.-