Lucy stood up as another boy came running through, dodging the last trunk. She turned and began to run again. They came across a small stream, and Lucy continued to run, picked up her pace, and jumped at the last second. She just made it to the other side and kept running. The boy behind her made the jump with a foot to spare. They ran as hard as they could towards an opening in the trees. They ran neck and neck into the practice yard, on the opposite side they had started from. There was Darren gasping for breath and drinking water slowly. Lucy sank down next to him, and he handed her his water bottle.
“Thanks,” panted Lucy, handing it to the other boy who drank gratefully. “Nice run,” she told Darren.
“You too,” he responded taking a drink from the water bottle the boy had just passed back to him.
“Lucy,” she panted as an introduction to the boy with a halfhearted wave.
“Grant,” he panted with nod.
“Darren,” he smiled exhaustedly at Grant.
Orin had been standing off to the side. “Ok, you’ve sat enough, start stretching.”
The last thing any of them wanted to do was move, but he was probably right so Lucy sat up, spread her legs apart, and reached for her right foot touching her forehead to her knee.
“Where’s Tannin?” asked Lucy.
“After we made it out he smiled encouragingly at me and started back at the beginning. I guess he’s going back after the stragglers,” said Darren.
“That was hard, but almost fun,” said Grant.
Lucy nodded in agreement. Tannin came running out again, Chloe right behind him. Tannin ran across the yard to the entrance and started through again, barely looking winded. Chloe collapsed beside them and took the water bottle.
“I think I bruised my shoulder on those trunks,” said Darren, his breathing back to normal, moving his left shoulder to make sure it was nothing more serious.
Orin overheard and felt Darren’s shoulder as well. Everything must have felt ok though because he nodded with satisfaction.
“That…hardest…part,” panted Chloe.
“Lucy cheated,” said Grant with a smile.
“Today there was no cheating,” said Orin. “I said get through however you can, and she’s here.”
“How did you cheat?” wondered Darren.
“I rolled under the gauntlet of trunks.”
“You fit?” asked Darren amazed.
“Barely.”
“I didn’t even think to try that,” added Chloe in disappointment.
“That’s ok, I think you are too tall,” said Lucy. Chloe was about five inches taller than she was.
At Orin’s instructions, Chloe began to stretch. Shortly, the rest of the class filtered out of the training course with Tannin. Philip was drenched and looked as though he had fallen into the stream. Lucy felt bad for him. First his matchbox caught fire and now this. Orin set them all to stretching as Tannin addressed them individually on their performance and Orin informed them that he expected to see improvement. Each person was given an apple to eat and then they began the next part of the class.
“Today, we will be working with the bows and arrows,” started Orin.
Lucy smiled at this. She had always thought it would be cool to learn how to use a bow.
“We will start with stationary targets, and you will be standing still. Obviously, once you master this, things will get more difficult.”
Orin went on to impart upon them the wisdom of knowing how to use a long-range weapon as he handed everyone standard bows. Tannin followed behind him handing out quivers of arrows.
“After a few practices with the bow, we will have a better idea of if you need a larger one, a lighter one, or other dimensions.”
Orin explained the basics of using the bow and then directed them to targets. This way they could practice while Orin and Tannin watched and gave individual pointers.
Lucy looked at her target, looked at her bow and thought, I can do this. She drew an arrow, notched it, aimed for the target, and drew back the string. The arrow fell sideways. She tipped the bow at an angle to hold the arrow in position and tried again. She drew back, the arrow stayed in position, and she let go. The arrow flew about ten feet and dropped short of the target. Lucy drew another arrow, notched it, drew back as hard as she could, and let go. The arrow soared over the target while the bowstring snapped her on the forearm.
“Ouch!” she exclaimed rubbing her arm.
Darren looked over at her and smiled. His four arrows had managed to hit the target.
“Keep trying, you’ll get it. Remember, I still can’t flip a match box.”
Lucy smiled back and tried again. This time she hit the target, but not hard enough. The arrow hung downward and slid out of the target. Ok, she needed more force. She snapped her arm again. Tannin stepped up behind her.
“Turn your body more,” he said in a soft gentle voice.
“Like this?”
He nodded.
“Keep your arm straight, and pull your hand back, level to your cheek.”
Lucy tried again and managed to hit the target successfully. Tannin nodded and moved on to the next student, skipping over Darren who already had several arrows deep in his target. The stance felt awkward and if she wasn’t careful, the bowstring snapped viciously at her forearm. She now had a permanent red spot. She wondered if her Aloe plant could help with that. Who would have thought that shooting an arrow was so difficult? It always sounded easier in books. She knew it took longer to train someone to successfully use a bow than a crossbow, but she wasn’t looking for perfection. Occasionally hitting the target would suffice. Lucy tried again.
“Ouch!” said Lucy again, sucking on her finger.
“What did you do?” asked Darren.
“I somehow managed to slice my finger open from one of the fletchings.”
“I didn’t know that was possible.”
“I think we’ve found one weapon I’m not going to master. I wonder what’s next?” asked Lucy, hoping it was something she would not be able to hurt herself with. When the weapon you were using caused more damage to you than your opponent, it was time to change weapons. She was not looking forward to her next bow experience. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief when the class was over and it was time for lunch.
Chapter 9
Lucy sat down at what was becoming her usual table with a sigh. At least her finger had stopped bleeding.
“How did things go?” asked Justin. He was eating the thickest sandwich Lucy had ever seen. She was sure she would not have been able to open her mouth that wide. She wondered how many different types of meat were included.
“Well, I’m going to get myself killed with my own weapon approximately ten minutes after graduating, but I’ll be in great shape when it happens.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad,” said Gavin with a laugh.
Lucy proceeded to tell them about her morning in between bites of pasta. They were glad the obstacle course went so well for her. Maya still had trouble walking across the log over the pit. They laughed at the way she got through the trunk gauntlet. Then, she regaled them with her bow and arrow antics. Gavin almost spit out his coffee.
“I guess it really was that bad,” said Gavin laughing. “How did you manage to slit your finger open?”
“It’ll get better,” said Maya in a reassuring way even though she was smiling too. “I managed to hit myself in the head with my staff the first time we used those.”
Gavin laughed even harder.
“I do much better in hand to hand, or using daggers. Something I can get in close and do some damage. I do ok with a bow and arrow though. I could try to give you some pointers,” said Maya.
Justin, meanwhile, was looking at her finger. He said a few words and the cut disappeared.
“It’ll still be sore, but at least you won’t rip it open again.”
“Thank you,” said Lucy.
“Show me your arm.”
Lucy rolled up her
tunic and showed him her forearm. It was ugly, red, and purple, but she hadn’t ripped open the skin. Gavin stopped laughing. It was not funny that she was hurt, but he looked perplexed that she managed to hurt herself that badly with a bowstring. Justin mumbled a few words, and the bruise started to turn the ugly yellow color of healing.
“They do have leather thongs you can strap to your arm,” suggested Gavin. “Ask Tannin for one Thursday.”
“I might do that. Thanks,” she directed the thanks at Justin. Her arm looked normal again. “You’re good at that.”
“I’ve developed a talent for healing small injuries,” he said with a smile.
“Can you teach me?”
“You’ll learn soon enough,” said Justin with a laugh. “It’s not fair rushing ahead. Besides, you never know what you will miss if you do.”
That made sense to Lucy. It was only her second day. She did not want to reach beyond her limits. She just thought it might be a useful skill to learn if she continued to be this inept with weapons.
“Are we allowed to practice magic on each other?” asked Lucy as an afterthought.
“Sure,” said Gavin. “Practice is encouraged at all times. You learn through experience. See,” he pointed to a book that floated across the Dining Hall.
“The only thing that is not allowed is harming another student,” added Maya. “Intentionally that is. Accidents happen and sometimes people try things they are not ready for. They usually learn their lesson and a professor sets things straight.”
Lucy’s inner clock warned her that it was time to go to her next lesson. They wished her luck with the horses and she made her way to the stables. When she reached the stables she found eight horses already saddled. The stable master greeted them.
“Good afternoon, my name is Gareth. This is your first class, and I like to get my students on horses as soon as possible. You will learn all about horse care. A normal class will include saddling your horse, riding, unsaddling, and a brush down. That said; let’s not waste any more time. Please select a horse.”
Teachers sure seemed to like to jump into their classes. Lucy liked it but at the same time it was kind of a sink or swim approach. Perhaps they knew that some students were nervous and putting off the inevitable didn’t make it any less frightening.
Lucy walked up to a beautiful dappled gray. She was nervous, and she was sure that wasn’t going to make the horse any more comfortable with her. Then she remembered the moonstones and thought it couldn’t hurt to try. Lucy brushed her hand softly over the horse’s nose and thought as hard as she could.
“Hello, my name is Lucy. I have never ridden a horse before. I’ll try my best to do things right and I hope you will be patient with me.” Lucy almost laughed at herself. She suddenly felt silly for trying to talk to a horse with her mind. Then, softly at first but growing louder with every word, there came a response.
“Hello Lucy, call me Ash.”
Lucy assumed this was all normal.
“Any suggestions on how to mount?” she asked.
“Put your foot in the stirrup, grab the saddle horn with one hand, my neck with the other, and vault on. I promise to stay still while you do this.”
“Thank you.”
Lucy did as she was told and found herself successfully atop Ash. Darren was already mounted and smiled at her. Grant and Chloe made it up without much fuss. Philip managed to mount his horse on his fifth try and sat there looking terrified. Gareth mounted his horse and instructed them to follow.
He led them around the paddock at a walk, then a little faster. Lucy loved riding. It felt right and it was fun. Gareth took them out on a trail. Between her natural ability and mental instructions from Ash, Lucy had a wonderful time.
“Lucy, you need to grip with your thighs, not your whole leg.”
“Oh, thanks,”
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The trail was long and winding so they mostly walked. As time drifted by, the class became more comfortable with their horses. Once they were back in the paddock, Gareth took them through some drills. He had set up cones for them to weave through. Lucy watched some of the others have problems with this.
“Ash? Why are they having trouble?”
“Their horses are trying to go one way, but the people are telling them to go the other way and not very successfully I might add.”
“I assume you can handle cones. I’ll hang on, you weave through, deal?”
“Deal.”
“Are you going to go left or right first?”
“Right, I think.”
So they did. Lucy let Ash have her head and they went through beautifully.
“Well, done,” congratulated Lucy.
“Of course,” replied Ash. “Any horse can weave through cones.”
Every time they went through, Ash moved faster until they were weaving through the cones at a gallop. Lucy laughed. She was having so much fun. She never knew riding a horse could feel so freeing and exhilarating. Gareth seemed impressed.
“You know,” said Darren pulling up beside her, “If the only thing you can’t do is shoot an arrow, I might have to be jealous.”
Lucy laughed, and Ash ran through the cones again.
When the class was done Lucy dismounted, thanked Ash for a wonderful first class, and stumbled out of the stables. It felt odd to walk after sitting on a horse for so long. Also, she could feel how tired her inner thigh muscles were. She was going to be sore tonight. At the edge of the paddock, on the way to the school, she met up with Justin.
“You ride well. Looks like you are a natural at something else,” said Justin.
“You watched?”
“Some, I got out of class early and knew you would be here.”
“Well, admittedly, I only deserve some of the credit. Ash did all the work.”
“Ash?” asked Justin quickly, suddenly very interested.
“Yes, the horse I was riding.”
“Ok,” replied Justin, trying to figure out a way to nonchalantly find out more information without giving any himself. “How did she do most of the work?”
“I introduced myself, just like with the moonstones and she instructed me on what to do. We had a deal. She would run through the cones and I did my best not to fall off.”
“I’m glad you two had a lovely chat.”
“Oh, we did. I can’t wait until next class. Do all the horses talk?”
“Yes and no,” replied Justin carefully. “All animals talk; not all people listen. Nor are they always able to communicate.”
“You can talk to them, can’t you?” asked Lucy.
“Yes, I have talent in that area. In fact, where I work is with the magical creatures. That’s where I picked up the talent.”
“Can I come to work with you sometime? I’m curious to see what other animals I can talk to.”
“Sure,” said Justin slightly surprised, but pleased. “Just remember that not everyone can talk to animals. Don’t expect that others do.” He didn’t want her to know how rare it was that she could talk so well with her mind so early, or even that she could do so at all. It might hamper her growing abilities to know what was usual and not. “By the way, where are we going?”
“Oh, there’s some time before dinner, and I’m disgusting. I’m going to take a quick shower before dinner,” replied Lucy. She reeked of sweat, horse, and dirt.
“Ok, I’ll meet you in the Dining Hall.” Justin turned and walked the other direction. He paused, turned around, and came back. “It might be better if you didn’t tell other people you can talk to horses, even Maya and Gavin.”
“Ok,” agreed Lucy, even though she thought it was odd. Why did it matter if people knew?
Justin could see that she was going to need more than that, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem to be catching on quickly. The more you seem to be able to do, the more people will expect of you. Also, the more surprised people will be if you are unable
to do something.”
“Like shoot a bow?”
“Like shoot a bow,” Justin agreed. “That could end up being a lot of pressure on you, and it is only your second day of classes.”
“True.” That line of reasoning made sense. “I’ll keep it a secret for now, but I’ll still keep talking to horses if that’s ok. It’ll make my riding class easier.”
“By all means keep talking to horses. I’m not telling you to ignore a gift. Please practice it. I’m just advising you not to shout about what you can do.”
By this time they had reached Lucy’s room. She smiled to Justin and entered.
Justin walked down the hallway thinking hard. Lucy was showing more and more promise by the day. It had taken him weeks of concentrating to talk before he had gotten a response from a lemur. Sometimes, even if animals heard you, they did not trust you enough to answer back. Sometimes, when they answered back, you were not listening hard enough to hear them. It had taken him a year to master the skill. At present he had not found an animal he could not talk to. Lucy, out of fear of failure, had called out to a horse, and it had responded. As far as Justin was aware, he and Nerek (the Creature’s teacher) were the only people here who could do it. He knew other people here could talk mind to mind, but people to animal was rare. Justin was highly intrigued by Lucy.
He was quiet and pensive until dinner. Then, he returned to his charming self. To the best of his knowledge, the happy, tired, and freshly bathed Lucy had not noticed his odd behavior. At least, he hoped not. He was waiting for her to try mind reading some time and end up successful at it. He decided that in some cases, it was better that she should find out accidentally that she could do some things. Thinking she should be able to do certain things, trying too hard, and failing at first could become discouraging. He definitely did not want Lucy discouraged.
Lucy plopped into her chair at dinner and told Gavin and Maya how much she had loved her riding class. Maya was happy for her.
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 Page 6