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Post by demikara on Jan 21, 2021 16:52:05 GMT -6
"I've never fought on horse back." He admitted easily. "But I suppose I can let you knock me off a horse, if you want." He couldn't help but be amused at the idea. "Mostly, I fight with magic or with a staff. Sometimes knives." Rarely a sword, which was difficult to get practice with in the mundane world anyway, even if he was sure eh could probably find a teacher. But he knew the basics of using a sword at least.
The idea of riding a horse and getting knocked out of the saddle wasn't a fun one, of course, but he was always game for learning more martial arts. And who knew, it may be useful one day. "Call me Tyrus." He offered the other, careful as always not to actually claim Tyrus as his name. Technically, it was a nickname anyway. His legal name was in fact Khuenre Abnre. Rahal had been a flight of fancy of his older brother's when it came time for them to all get legal identities, but even then, his legal paperwork say Abnre. His forged paperwork that got him into college, on the other hand? That said Tyrus Rahal. Tyrus was a lot easier for the average american to say than Khuenre, and made him wince a lot less.
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Post by Circe on Jan 21, 2021 17:14:17 GMT -6
Catherine looked at Dùghallach and then Tyrus, slightly curious to see how this would play out. Someone was going to end up on the ground and for once it wasn't her. "Fair word of warning Dùghallach, he cheats." She said as she walked down to where Pyrebone stood with his saddle askew and covered in dried grass and dirt. Grasping the horse by the halter and encouraging him to stand still, Catherine took a moment rearranging and setting all of the tack back to rights. Thankfully there wasn't much to do except tighten a few straps.
"Oh ho.. a mage are you?" Dùghallach commented grinning broadly at the mention of magic. This would certainly be a fun one to knock the wind out of, given that this one looked like a strong gust of wind could knock him over. "I'll go easy on you then." He added taking this as an invitation.
Catherine meanwhile had returned with Pyrebone, who looked none too pleased to have a strange rider placed on his back. "You'll want this." She said tossing the helmet at Tyrus. She had no idea what on earth had possessed him to try this other than curiosity. Falling off was part of training, but she hadn't ever considered it fun. The solstice must have already been working on Tyrus's mind and rendering his ability to make decisions greatly reduced. "And this." Catherine added handing him the long wooden pole she'd been using earlier.
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Post by demikara on Jan 21, 2021 17:22:27 GMT -6
Tyrus accepted both and put the helmet on, then mounted the horse and took the pole. "Is it cheating if no one said you couldn't? But I won't use magic to stay in the saddle then." He offered, amused. He hadn't been planning on it, but sometimes things needed to be said. "And yes, a mage. And I will take you going easy on me." Given he had never down this before, and really only had a general idea of what to do based on what he had just watched.
He was definitely going to end up unhorsed.
Better than being bored though. It may just be the solstice happening. It had effected his judgement last time after all, and he had no doubt it would this time as well. Still, he was always interested in new martial arts, though he could probably do without being made a fool of again. Though all he really had to do to soothe that ache was remind himself that it was quite likely that Dùghallach had centuries on him, so it would be a good deal more amazing if he actually managed to stay seated.
He turned Pyrebone to face Dùghallach, "Come on Pyrebone. Be kind to me, will you?"
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Post by Circe on Jan 21, 2021 17:32:19 GMT -6
Catherine just rolled her eyes at Tyrus's question, "Just don't say I didn't warn you." She commented knowing that even if he did use magic to stay seated, that Dùghallach would have likely had a solution. He always did when training her, and seemed to enjoy maxing out the difficulty level. His excuse was that she was experienced enough, and the horses had been properly trained.
Dùghallach meanwhile put his helmet back on and raised his pole ready to strike. Ground versus equestrian could get a bit dangerous, if not for the rider then for the person on the ground.
At Tyrus's question, Pyrebone just snorted and side stepped, clearly still unhappy with having a different rider.
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Post by demikara on Jan 21, 2021 17:42:48 GMT -6
"Don't be like that Pyrebone." He coaxed the horse and took better hold of the reigns to encourage the horse to actually behave. This was definitely Catherine's horse though. Just as stubborn as she was. He raised his pole and started down the pasture, pole up and ready to strike. He had no doubt how this would end, of course, but he was still going to give it a go.
Never let it be said he was a particularly wise mage. Knowledgeable? Oh yes. You'd be hard pressed to find someone with as instinctive a knowledge of magic in the human realm at all. And he had studied the subject extensively as well, so had excellent theoretical and practical knowledge. But wisdom was not his forte. He was young, and pampered, and while he could fight, and had won against opponents faster and stronger than him long before he was either fast or strong, he would always have the temperament of a scholar more than he would of a warrior.
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Post by Circe on Jan 22, 2021 13:08:12 GMT -6
Pyrebone, like his owner, wouldn't have lasted at long as he had if he weren't stubborn. While the fae realm was beautiful, it was a primeval world full of dangerous magic. Stubbornness meant the ability to survive, a necessary thing more often than not in worlds like this one. A warrior was more likely to survive such a world, but not without tenacity and the ability and willingness to learn.
Catherine watched as Tyrus set off and shook her head. She hadn't thought that Dùghallach's idea was a terribly good one, but before she could object, Tyrus had agreed. It was in moment like this that Catherine seriously wondered what Tyrus's thought process that led to incidents like this were some days. "Stupid mage..." She sighed supposing that this was the only way he would learn. It seemed to happen every time too, his pride, curiosity, or both got the better of him.
The horse cooperated just long enough to ferry Tyrus to where Dùghallach waited at the ready, knowing full well that his new rider had no clue what he was doing. Taking full advantage, Pyrebone galloped down to the field, and waited until the very last minute when the mock weapons met with a loud "crack!" to rear up.
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Post by demikara on Jan 22, 2021 13:27:33 GMT -6
The weapons hadn't unseated him, which really told him that Dùghallach was going easy on him, more than anything else. The rearing up though, had him dropping his weapon and leaning forward with a yelp, trying to stay on the horse. What the hell! The horse was trained, he knew that much. Catherine would definitely not ride an untrained horse. But the horse most definitely did not want Tyrus on his back.
What was he supposed to do in this situation? He racked his mind for what the instructor had said when he was learning to ride, but it was awhile ago and he couldn't remember anymore.
Tyrus was not able to keep his seat and ended up on the ground before Pyrebone would try and buck, promptly rolling out of the way and getting back on his feet, before the ornery horse could step on him.
Definitely Catherine's horse.
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Post by Circe on Jan 22, 2021 17:10:26 GMT -6
She had warned him, but apparently that wasn't enough. It didn't help that Pyrebone was intent on being a problem either, and hadn't even waited for Dùghallach to knock Tyrus off. Instead the horse had decided to take the matter to heart about expressing its displeasure about this novice rider.
Catherine was now completely convinced that Tyrus had lost his mind, and her horrified expression said the same. She would have never suggested that he get on Pyrebone, who even on a good day was difficult to work with even for her. This did not bode well for the solstice, and possibly signaled a difficult trial ahead for them both.
"Tyrus! Get out of the way you stupid man!" Catherine yelled as she waved her arms at both horse and rider, the later of which who was now on the ground. Running across the field, she managed to grab a hold of Pyrebone's reins while Dùghallach helped Tyrus up off the ground.
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Post by demikara on Jan 22, 2021 19:30:06 GMT -6
Tyrus accepted the help and gave Dùghallach a nod in thanks. He got out of the way of the horse though, and brushed himself down once he was sure said horse wasn't going to knock him over and stomp on him. "That was exciting." He decided with a grin. "Should of known my luck with animals wouldn't hold though. I could have sworn horses were okay. The horse we permanently borrowed was fine." Must have been a placid horse. Definitely not the same and Pyrebone. "Well, you're a very pretty horse at least." He informed Pyrebone. "Which makes up for the whole dropping me down like that at least a little." Not a lot though.
He was fine though, and a little surprised that Catherine actually cared enough to tell him to get out of the way. He gave her a smile. "I'm bruised, but that's all. Accidents happen all the time, and we all knew I was going to get unseated somehow." He wasn't going to complain about the expected result, even if he was rather put out that it was the horse that did it and not Dùghallach. He really should have worked more on his riding before doing this, but somehow doubted the sweet horse he had pushed so hard to get here was trained at all for clashing weapons.
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Post by Circe on Jan 22, 2021 22:02:36 GMT -6
"That was dangerous." Catherine stated with a matter of fact tone. In some ways she still thought of Tyrus as a human, given that little seemed to have really changed in the last year. He still did foolish things with magic, and she still worked in a large capacity for the MCU as a warden. They were both still dealing with the chaos of one court or another, except this time the players had changed.
"I hope your proud of yourself." She then said to Pyrebone who just looked at her and blinked placidly. "I don't think he much cares for your friend here." Dùghallach chuckled as he picked up the wooden poles that had been standing in for weapons. "But he was doing rather well for a novice until Pyrebone here got it in his head to toss 'im." That was something none of them had been prepared for, but the horse had already gained a reputation for being high spirited and unpredictable.
"But yes, you're fine thankfully. Most horses aren't like him." Catherine said to Tyrus. This wasn't something she wished to add to her list of accomplishments, getting a mage trampled to death by a horse. "You barely ride, you barely know what to do when riding, what possessed you to get on horse like Pyrebone?" She then asked dumbfounded. It wasn't common knowledge that she could ride, much possess less any of the skills she'd demonstrated in the past few days. But they were there, just seldom used. Time in the pasture with Pyrebone and Dùghallach had been time for her to concentrate on only one thing, and not let the swirling mass of thoughts about everything lately consume her. For a time it had been peaceful, and right. That was if you could call what she had been doing peaceful.
"Not helping any here Dùghallach." Catherine added as Pyrebone reached over to investigate Tyrus. Having had his fun now, he was content to stand there and nose pockets for any potential treats, or in this case fascinating things on new people. Eyeing Tyrus's braid, the horse slowly inched his way over until it was just close enough to reach. While Catherine was distracted, he grabbed the braid and gave it a curious tug.
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Post by demikara on Jan 22, 2021 22:10:55 GMT -6
"Most of my life is dangerous." He pointed out cheerfully. "Every time I reach for the sea of magic in me, there's a terrible potential for it to go catastrophically wrong. I'm very used to danger." Danger was an old friend and not something that particularly bothered me. "And I'm afraid I misled you a little Dùghallach. I may have never clashed weapons on a horse, but I do know how to fight." It translated over some at least.
And then the horse went for his braid.
No member of the court dared to touch the braid. There had been attempts when he was younger, before he could defend himself, to go for his braid, what seemed to be an obvious weakness. Grab the braid, and you could control the body, after all. But they had all learned very quickly not to touch the braid. Tyrus was fiercely protective over his hair for reasons he didn't fully understand himself. But he knew it was important, and would ask, woudl murmur something about his Mother being upset.
It was probably a good thing that Tyrus was very aware that Pyrebone was a horse. "Teeth off." He ordered firmly and, knowing he'd need a spell to sort his hair shortly and preferably proper hair oils, send a jolt of electricity down his braid and to the horse. Just enough to startle him off, but not enough to hurt him.
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Post by Circe on Jan 22, 2021 22:29:44 GMT -6
The horse backed off and gave Tyrus a disgusted snort before returning to the safer territory of nosing Catherine's or Dùghallach's pockets for treats. This new person was clearly not worth the trouble, and the sooner they disappeared from his territory the better.
"Ah, but with time you could." Dùghallach replied. As far as he was concerned, Tyrus seemed to have a decent handle on the weapons, it was just the riding that seemed to throw him. Literally. "Perhaps on not so... spirited of a horse?" He added idly patting Pyrebone. Pyrebone was a war horse, properly trained and properly raised. He had been a favorite of the previous lord, and let few people ride him.
"Don't brag Tyrus, it's not attractive." Catherine replied bluntly. "Getting thrown from a horse and trampled is not something to brag about being a walk in a park." Something had clearly gotten lost in the translation.
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Post by demikara on Jan 22, 2021 22:56:06 GMT -6
Is it bragging if its the truth? He wondered and ran a hand over his hair, trying to get rid of the static electricity. Unfortunately, that was not something he could do magic for without really messing up his hair entirely. "I wasn't trampled." Not to leave Dùghallach he offered the fae man a smile. "Maybe a more placid horse. My abilities with any sorts of animals are minimal." He wasn't an animal person. They could be cute and all, but there were also relatively gross, what with the lack of using the toilet and them just pooping where ever. Cats might be bearable, except they pooped in a box and then scattered it every where. And they licked themselves constantly. It was weird. Plus they threw up.
Tyrus has an unfortunate amount of experience with cats. Madeline has one and had tried her hardest to make him be friends with it and not just both being grudgingly in the others space. "It was nice of you to let me try." That was as close to thank you as he could say.
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Post by Circe on Jan 22, 2021 23:10:12 GMT -6
Catherine turned to hand Dùghallach Pyrebone's reins. She had heard every word of Tyrus's thought, and even if it was the truth, bragging did very little. "Another time then perhaps." The man said with a nod as he took the horse off. The horses they had arrived on seemed very calm indeed, but it also appeared that this new friend of his mistress's was still very green in many ways. Shaking her head, she walked back towards the house. As far as she could see it, the disconnect was still there.
How were they even going to weather something like the winter solstice if one of them was dumb enough to think themselves capable of anything should they so choose?
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Post by demikara on Jan 24, 2021 11:31:32 GMT -6
With a sigh he watched her go. Might as well walk around the grounds, he decided, and see what there was to see. He had managed to upset Catherine again, which was, when it came down to it, par for the course. He tried not to, but it seemed they were just...just not meant to be more than they currently were. Great. He was stuck an eternity with someone who pretty much hated him. That was exactly what everyone wanted. Tyrus, in his borrowed clothes that only mostly fit, wandered the grounds to see what he could see. It was pretty, at least. He could saw that much. It was pretty, even if he felt homesick for the home he once knew. Madeline, and her rowdy nerdy pack. His parents, who loved him, even as they beat him. His brothers, who had loved him unconditionally as well, as only brothers could. Quietly, the mage found a spot at the edge of the estate and cried. He wanted his life back to what it used to be. It had been so much easier being an overworked arbiter who loved his life, even if it had not been something he ever could have imagined before. He hated being a vampire. He loved and hated the court in equal measures. But the court felt like a heavy duty he had never wanted. He had not been the heir, Balto had been, and then Milk, and then him, the lone human. And now he wasn't human, and he was functionally alone in another plane of existence, with someone who at best couldn't stand to be near him. The mage didn't return until dinner, his braid having changed from hanging down his back, to split braids hanging over his front. Lunch had been forgotten in its entirety, a common habit that was the reason he was so damn thin. He wasn't really hungry for dinner either, but he was done moping at least. Time to face Catherine and try and come up with some sort of a plan. Hopefully she'd be at dinner so he wouldn't have to track her down.
He sat down at the dinner table and accepted a plate full to the brim of food. Someone had noted he missed lunch after all, apparently. Well, he wouldn't object to more food. He was a little hungry. Madeline would have half killed him if she found out he had skipped lunch as well. There was more than one occasion he wished he could just go back to the wolf pack that had welcomed him with open arms. The Dallas pack was, well, not a shining example of were wolf kind. His Father's court had not let it be, because a strong pack meant they'd have to actually deal with them.
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