T2 Equestrian

Marcus Astraea thought he had seen plenty of things in his life. But, Marcus only really understood just how much young he really was. While he knew that there was much for him to learn yet- which was why he was attending Dawn in the first place. But, his training and experience here with the Guard was another thing entirely. Not only was he learning more about this wonderful country of theirs, its military structure and just how the Royal Guard operated, but he had begun adopting several of their habits. [1]

Most notably, their postures. Marcus never slouched, but he was never paranoid enough to stand at attention all the time. Now, his posture was as stiff as theirs and yet flexible enough to allow him to react at a moments notice. Though, the biggest thing to him these last few days was him learning how to take care of his own steed. Brushing, feeding, taking care of its...excesses- everything. It was something that was entirely foreign to Marcus and yet so fascinating. [2]

The horse that was assigned to him surprisingly had no name. Even more so strangely, the stable master had told him to christen it himself and so he did. He bestowed the Gelding with the name of 'Felix' and the horse began answering to that name. Truly, the Geldings were a breed of horses unmatched in their intelligence. And Felix had been properly trained indeed- the boasting stable master did say that the Arcadian Royal Guard had access to the finest horses in Arcadia. Though, just how much of this was true was a question that Marcus didn't dare ask, considering there was still the King and the Knights of the Round there. Obviously, their steeds would be the best. [3]

Though, Marcus had no doubts that the Geldings this man bred and raised with love were any less amazing. They were perhaps not the greatest of horses, but they were great and a fitting pair for the Royal Guard. He heard tales of how various stable masters would abuse their own animals if they though them under-performing. Thankfully, the stable master was just as kind and loving to his horses as he was kind and knowledgeable to Marcus. All of the members of the Guard have been nothing but informative and kind if stern. But they were the protectors of Arcadia and they couldn't afford to be lax, afterall. [4]

Today would be as any other day. He'd wake up, make the breakfast for the Guard and do his daily training with his afternoon being spent looking after Felix. Strangely enough however, the stable master had informed him that he would be doing more than just taking care of Felix- hence an added hour or so to his schedule. Not that Marcus minded- it just meant that he was ready for the next step when it came to learning about horses. And lo' and behold, he saw the stable master with a harness and a saddle prepared for him. The old man informed him that he'd begin his training in equestrianism in earnest now. [5]

Every proper noble- and especially a Knight needed to learn how to ride a horse. And Marcus had every intention on learning how to do so but it seems that his chance would come sooner than later. Honestly, he expected this from them, since they've already been giving him basic education in just about every part of being a Knight. His swordsmanship and usage of the shield was advance in its own right, especially since he was an Astraea. [6]

Regardless, Marcus can't help but crack a small smile at that and eagerly listened to the stable master. First, before he could even try to ride Felix, he needed to learn how to properly set the harness and the saddle. How tight the belts needed to be, or what kind of positioning the harness needed to be set in. And then setting the saddle itself. Every little thing was important, lest he do it improperly and end up falling off the horse before he even began to ride in earnest. [7]

It took him a bit, because certain times he'd tie the belts and ropes too loose or tighten them too much, which prompted Felix to give  whine on the rough treatment. It wasn't that the horse was overly sensitive about every little thing, but it knew when it was being constricted too much to properly walk. They needed to breath as well, and while Marcus highly doubted he could actually choke Felix out like that, he also didn't want to treat him too roughly. The Gelding was his precious partner for his remainder here at the Guard. [8]

With the saddle and harness properly set, the old stable master gave him some more instructions. Such as what kind of posture he needed to keep, the fact that he would most likely be very sore after this and just to expect falling off a few times unless he was very lucky. Marcus understood the time old lesson of no pain, no gain. And as an Astraea, he knew that he had to bleed and sweat to do become truly successful as one. Anyone in a profession that involved risking limb and or life knew about that. [9]

And with a small demonstration by the old man, he was ready himself. They had give him some padded clothing just in case, gloves and a helmet. Marcus believed it to be a bit too much but you may never know what might happen. Just because he was a Bearer didn't mean he could afford to be lax with his own protection, even if it may seem for something as minor as this. Felix liked him, and he was well trained but that didn't mean that he may not buck him off if he did something wrong. Or if the intelligent horse just wanted to fuck with him. [10]

Marcus Astraea immediately realized several things after Felix walked around for a few steps. Firstly, that this position was going to take a lot of getting used to. Not even five minutes have passed but he was already starting to feel...well, he couldn't properly explain it, but it was more than just weird. Secondly, that the view from up here? It was also different but in a good way. Not that Marcus was short, but from such an elevated position, he was allowed to just see more than usual. [11]

He could picture it already- visualizing a battlefield on top of his steed, planning out a strategy needed for victory. While he didn't show it- and compared to some others, Marcus' ambitions could seem tame in comparison. But there was nothing tame about wanting to become the next Galahad or the Captain of the Guard. Each position was prestigious- one more than the other perhaps, but they'd both need to be filled in by someone strong, intelligent and loyal to Arcadia. [12]

Humble he may be, but even Marcus held himself in a higher stature than most others. He was still an Astraea- someone destined for greatness as long as he made no mistakes in his life. It was in their very genes to fly high, above any others, save for the Lord, his children and their chosen. Though, it seems that he made the same old mistake- taking his mind off his current task and focusing it somewhere else. If he hadn't, he probably would have had the time needed to avoid falling off his horse like a goof. [13]

But he didn't and so, Marcus felt the back of his head impact against the ground, letting out a surprise gasp as it did. His added protection would ensure that he didn't get hurt too badly- or whatsoever, but the sting was there to remind him of his mistake. With a sigh, he'd pick himself up, brushing down the grass, dirt and dust that got unto him. Sure enough, the old man was laughing at him and he could have sworn Felix was as well with how strangely he was neighing. [14]

With a grumble, he'd approach the Gelding and pull himself up on top of him again, grasping at the reins firmly to steer him into the opposite direction. Well, he was probably never going to live this down, especially since he was sure that the other members of the Guard saw this. If they somehow didn't, he wasn't going to put it past the old man to babble about it. While he may be busy, humans somehow always found the time needed to gossip- it was in their nature. [15]