That’s One Angry Horse

[Kysis]

It had been a long, trying day.  Kysis could feel it wearing upon his body, his mind, his very being.  One thing after another, the punches kept rolling and Kysis kept taking them, until now.  He could not stand it anymore.  It was not that he hated people, he just needed room to breathe.  Everyone was suffocating him, crowding him and smothering him.  If one more person tried patting him on the shoulder and telling him they were sorry for his loss—

That was a thought he decided he probably should not finish.  It was probably violent, overly so, and overkill for that matter.  Yes, Kysis cut off that chain of thoughts in his mind, nipping that frantic anger in the bud.  The day had started feeling rather hollow, but as it progressed, anger had built, and built, and built, and Kysis knew full well he was near boiling point.  There was only so much of a mask he could put on before someone finally broke it.  Kysis did not want to say something that he might regret in the future.  He could feel it, lurking there in the back of his mind, ready to pounce at any moment.

Knowing his own limits, he left the shop, steps firm and sure though he had no idea where they were taking him.  That was of no matter.  His feet knew what they were doing, where they were going, what he needed.  It was like that time Kysis had to escape the manor, went to the shrub maze in the gardens.  Just, this time, he did not go for the foliage of the maze, its concealing comfort, the solitude in which only the fountains could bother him.  No, his feet had something else in mind.

When he showed up at the stables, he was surprised, if only for a moment.  Kysis had not taken Atropos out since they returned from Greece, had completely forgotten about his proud war horse.  The horse must have felt neglected after so much free run, or maybe he was still tired.  No.  Atropos had not been showing signs of fatigue when they returned to Oberon, so Kysis would be well rested and ready to go again.

Atropos missed the open fields of tall grass, the days when he could just run to his heart’s content, galloping here and there, sprinting, dodging between rocks and trotting through sand.  Oberon was a far way from Kreos, though.  Having just come back from Greece, Kysis did not miss it yet.  However, Atropos had to.  Kysis had not gotten a chance to take Atropos out into the vast fields again, to ride around without a care in the world.  As the Lord Liari, Kysis could not do that anymore…

And that was one angry horse.

Kysis stood where he had first caught sight of Atropos, frozen in place.  The beige stallion was snorting and snapping at the poor stable-hand trying to feed him, jumping in his stall, kicking, lashing out in every way possible.  For a few moments Kysis had to stand there, and stare into those fierce eyes, so determined not to be caged up.  It was Atropos that inspired Kysis to pull through after what should have been a fatal wound, the long scar across his chest still standing testament to those trials and tribulations.  Atropos had given Kysis the will to survive, and now that feisty stallion was locked up in a little cage, not accepting food from the poor, scared boy trying to feed him.

The young lord wondered if it had been a bet that got the boy there, trying to feed Atropos.  Probably.  That brought the start of a smile, Kysis finally able to walk forward, speaking out in hopes of not scaring the boy witless. “Let me.”  The boy jumped anyway, Kysis taking the apple and a sack of grains from his hands.  The moment he did, the boy ran off in fright.  That was fine.  Kysis had wanted to be alone anyway.

He approached slowly, apple in hand, Kysis reaching into the stall with that hand stretched out.  Snorting, Atropos turned away.  Kysis rolled his eyes.  This again?  Kysis spoke to his horse in Greek, fine knowing none of the stable-hands would be able to understand him. “This again?  Well, if that’s the case, I’ll just be taking this nice, red apple all to myself.”  Atropos snorted again, but did not move.  In response, Kysis took a bite of the apple, crunching loudly on it.  Atropos finally turned around, Kysis offering the apple up again.  Giving an indignant flick of his ears, Atropos took it from his master, eating it quickly and tossing his head as soon as he was done.  Kysis then offered the bag of grains over, Atropos eating as Kysis held it up.

Kysis felt much better already.

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher was alerted by a near-hysterical stableboy (by the name of Denny) that there was trouble with Lord Liari\'s horse and dropped what he was doing (literally, the chaff scoop harmlessly spilling its contents into the barrel) and raced out of the supply room in the south east corner of the stables.

As his long legs took him swiftly towards the stall in question, the boy dropped quickly behind, but not before the Stable Manager learned that Denny had been bribed into doing the feeding job.  The child had only been working there a week, by Adora, he wasn\'t up to handling a horse as big and feisty as Atropos - Hell, the only person in the entire place that really could make the horse do what he wanted was Gallagher and that was only if he kept up a regular exercise regimen with him.  He was the most temperamental and fussy creature Bede had ever worked with, otherwise - but he rather loved taht about him.

The fact that Denny hadn\'t recognised the man who\'d stepped up to Atropos\' stall was what had the Manager practically running to the horse\'s position, though.  The child had barely had time to describe a bloke who looked like a noble of some sort before he\'d been compelled to answer the question about why he\'d been in the stall in the first place.  It had been Jack or Alyssa\'s job (Bede couldn\'t quite be sure, but it was certainly his most senior stablehands\' job to look after such difficult animals) but one of them had obviously decided they\'d play a nasty joke on the new boy.  Very bloody funny... not.

When he rounded the corner and sighted Lord Liari leaning into Atropos\' stall with a bag of grain, Gallagher breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down from his fast-paced trot, realising he needn\'t have worried so much after all.  Considering the majesty and expense of the horses on this top level, though, he doubted he\'d ever not panic, just in case someone untoward did manage to bluff their way through the stable doors, past the guards stationed there.  The guards they did have were regulars, simply so they did recognise the horse owners when they visited their animals at odd hours, but there were always exceptions to every rule, it seemed.

"Good day, Lord Liari," Gallagher greeted as he came up on the man\'s left side, leaning his hand casually upon the corner of Atropos\' stable door as he came to a stop at last.  His golden curls framed his bright blue eyes as he grinned at the visitor, dimples flashing pleasantly.  He wore a dark brown long pants and vest set over a simple blue-grey shirt today, the garment open at the neck even though it was winter.  Those that stayed in the stables hardly ever had need of warm clothing while working, for the heat generated by the windows being closed around hundreds of warm horse bodies was plenty to sustain them, even on frozen nights.

Not finding it necessary to comment yet on Atropos\' state, Gallagher merely waited until he had the Lord\'s attention before continuing.  He\'d only had a few conversations with him, and always when seeing him in Captain Wilson\'s company, but she didn\'t appear to be with him today so the Stable Manager decided the blonde noble might not be here for a right after all.  If a visit with his horse was all that he was after, he would hardly want an interfering stable worker hanging about and interrupting.  Bede had the greatest respect for people who took the time to visit their animals, making them feel appreciated and part of their lives, even if the poor beasts could be nowhere nearby due to the city\'s arrangement.

[Kysis]

Kysis heard feet approaching and listened for a moment, not recognizing the gait.  Someone he didn\'t know too well, which was good.  Atropos snorted at Kysis when he looked to the side, spotting who it was.  Apparently the boy had gotten the stablemaster, which was good.  They had spoken just a few times, but from what Kysis heard, Master Gallagher was the only one who could handle Atropos.  That meant the man at least somewhat understood the horse.  Considering how important Atropos was to Kysis, he figured he could trust the man.

"Good evening, Master Gallagher."  He let go of the grain bag with his left hand, using it to pat and smooth Atropos\' nose.  The horse seemed to like it, so Kysis kept at it. "Hopefully Atropos hasn\'t been too much trouble?"

If Oberon did not have laws against it, Kysis would keep Atropos somewhere of his own devising, where he could take care of his own horse.  It would save a lot of trouble.  However, Kysis knew Atropos was in safe hands, so long as young, unexperienced stable hands did not end up near him again.  Atropos was known to bite at people.  Kysis would hate for a kid to get a broken hand.

"Of course he has."

Kysis answered his own question, turning his head just slightly, looking in his peripheral to the left.  All he could see was Gallagher\'s hand, arm, and shoulder from this angle, which Kysis did not mind.  He was not completely in an antisocial mood, as could be guessed by the faint chuckle tinging his last statement.  Atropos was always trouble.  Always.  That was why Kysis liked the horse so much.  That was why Marcos had bought it for his son.

"He hasn\'t damaged another stall, has he?"

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher laughed also, when Lord Liari remarked that of course his horse was troublesome.  "No," he drawled, ending with a rueful sigh, "we learned the hard way that reinforcing this one was the way to go, though.  It\'s all pretty good now," he nodded, gesturing with his right hand to the inner workings of the stall, where, if Kysis looked through the entryway to the large square room, he\'d notice new wood lining all the visible walls up to about his waist height.

He fell quiet, watching the lord with his horse for a few moments, noting the communication between the two.  "Both he and Captain have been pretty restless since you returned from your journey; I think they miss pushing themselves.  I\'ve had to take Atropos out nearly every day just to keep him quiet," he laughed again, nodding at the horse.  "Did you want to take him out for a run?" Gallagher enquired, feeling it would be the most appropriate thing.

Most nobles didn\'t visit their horses and only used the beautiful beasts to strap to carriages, so Gallagher regularly saw to it that every horse escaped such indiginities and was exercised in the yard downstairs at the least and outside the castle\'s boundaries at least once every moon - even in the winter.  Such animals were made to run, not be holed up until they withered away in their stalls and were carted off for parts.  He had such loyalty from his workers mainly due to this policy (he felt, anyway), because they all loved the responsibility of escaping the city\'s confines on a gorgeous animal for the day.  He did the really important ones himself.

[Kysis]

They had to reinforce the stall?  Kysis looked as Gallagher gestured, noticing the new wood that had been put up, and a set of indents from hooves on the back wall.  That made Kysis cock an eyebrow, his looking at Atropos, who had his head hung lower than his left hand reached to bury his head in the grains some more.  Poor kid, getting spooked by Atropos.  Hopefully that did not scare the boy out of a future career.  That would be sad.  Kysis preferred to take care of Atropos himself, but since that wasn\'t possible, the wayward warhorse had to be kept in the stables, traumatizing children.  Great....

"Atropos, do you have to be so damn wayward?"  There was no response.  Apparently Atropos was just smitten now, seeing Kysis and getting food at the same time.  Kysis patted Atropos up between the ears before turning his attention back to Gallagher.  Take Atropos out for a ride?  Now?  It was getting late in the day, but still.... it would probably get Atropos to calm down, at least for a few days.  Kysis rather liked the idea of visiting more often to exercise Atropos himself.  The horse (and the staff too) could use it.

"That sounds perfect, actually."  Kysis had been wanting to get away from people for the most part, at least the people he knew would push his buttons.  What was a better way than taking Atropos out for a ride?  Now, Kysis was not exactly in the best attire for riding.  He was in all black, as he was earlier in the day, dressed like a nobleman.  What would that hurt?  Kysis had ridden in full armor in sweltering heat.  This would be just fine. "I\'m sure Atropos would love it, and actually calm down a bit."

Yes, that plan sounded absolutely perfect.

[Existentially Odd]

The Stable Manager stood up straighter from his relaxed position leaning against the wall, rubbing his hands together in preparation.  "Do you want some help saddling him?  I\'m happy to help, if so?" Gallagher offered, having been the only one who\'d performed such a brave task at all.

He considered offering to accompany Kysis on his ride, simply because negotiating one\'s way out of the city on horseback could be tricky unless you were familiar with the exact route, but he also didn\'t want to disturb the lord\'s private time with his horse - not when he approved of it so soundly.  Still... an offer could be refused, so there should be no harm in asking.

He waited to see what was said to his first request before pressing on, though.

[Kysis]

"I can saddle him myself, I think."  Kysis nodded at that, noticing how Atropos had finally perked up and was staring at them.  That was just creepy.  The young lord almost wished Atropos was still digging into the grain.  But since the horse was not, Kysis lifted up the bag of grain, still half full, pulling it out of the stall and holding onto it since he had no idea what to do with the thing.

"If I knew where the saddle was..."  Kysis looked around, having to turn 360 to get a full view of the place.  He was still thinking about that offer of treatment for his eye, as the apothecary suggested, even if that made everyone realize his right eye was dead.  This place was definitely not Kreos.  It would be safe enough, and if Kysis started keeping Alex around more, it would not be a problem.  Other lords had guards around, so why not?

"Is there a particular way that is best for getting out of the city gates for said ride?  I\'ve only ever gone with" Kysis had to pause, stopping himself from using Lam here, "the Captain, so I don\'t know the way on my own."  Which was true.  He always let her lead, and was usually too caught up in their conversation to remember the route she picked.  Damn.  If only he\'d split his--- no, it was probably best that he was more concentrated on her.  She had a tendency for catching him completely off guard when he wasn\'t paying full attention.

[Existentially Odd]

Bede laughed jovially, snagging the feed bag out of Kysis\' hand nonchalantly as he stepped forward, into the lord\'s personal space.  "I\'ll get the saddle," he said easily, realising the noble hadn\'t spent much time in the stables so he didn\'t know how everything worked.  His attention shifted to the horse right in front of him then.  "Back you go, Atropos, good boy," he murmured as he unlatched the gate the horse had been leaning over and began pushing it inward.

With a few more nickers and soft, horse-sounding noises, Gallagher managed to get Atropos to back up into the main room of his stall, and latched the gate to the right side of that room\'s opening so he couldn\'t exit, the gate held securely at an angle.  This revealed a narrow walkway to the right, which had a human-sized gate barring it.  Gallagher gestured for Lord Liari to follow him into the little room beside Atropos\' stall, which was where all his personal feed, tack and gear was kept.  There was a chair there, along with the barrels of grain and water used to feed the horse, and polishing items on the bench beside the chair that declared the gear was well maintained.  His bridle, saddle, blankets, combs and everything else Atropos would ever need were arranged on hooks or nails or holders all over the walls - except for the saddle, which sat, gleaming, on its own saddle horse.

"It\'s all in here," Gallagher told his companion affably, hanging the feed bag on a hook beside another, empty one and brushing his hands off (it was a habit he had, for his hands weren\'t dirty) as he turned to look at Kysis, his hands then going to his slim hips.  It was hard to see much in the little space because there were no windows (Atropos had a central stall) but enough light filtered through from the main area to show where everything was.  A lantern stood on the bench, proving that anyone who spent time in the tackroom used light to see what they were doing, but Gallagher hardly thought it was worth the effort of lighting now.

"There\'s not much room," the Stable Manager laughed, "but that\'s only because the horses get the bigger share of it all," he explained with a shrug.  It was a far different setup downstairs, where the horses were common beasts that had a shared tack room, for they were kept in single stalls only (though their care was no less dedicated, for they were still animals deserving of attention), but he was sure Kysis realised that what his horse was allowed up here was a direct result of his money.

"And yes, there is a particular route that you should be taking to get out of the city and if you\'re not familiar with it, it\'s rather tricky to explain," Gallagher mused, his lips twisting thoughtfully.  "Congratulations on your engagement, by the way!" he declared suddenly, as his thoughts led him to thinking about Lord Liari only travelling out of the city on horseback with the captain - he wasn\'t always up on the latest gossip (he didn\'t know that Alia had died, for instance), but that tidbit had got through to him.

"She\'s a great lady," the manager enthused with a broad grin, having had a lot of dealings with Wilson in the past - some of which he wouldn\'t be discussing with her fiancé.  "I\'m really pleased for the both of you.  I gather she couldn\'t be here to take a ride with you today?  If you wanted, I could saddle up Captain and take him out with you, show you the way and where we usually exercise the horses?  Atropos tends to bite or barge any horses that aren\'t Captain, so they always get exercised together now," Gallagher explained ruefully, his grin showing that he knew he shouldn\'t approve of such equine behaviours but that he understood a horse would do what it wanted - and he found it pretty funny, really, the way Atropos dominated every other horse in his vicinity.

[Kysis]

It was amazing, how much and how quickly Atropos had calmed down.  It was also a good thing.  Kysis was tired of hearing about how temperamental Atropos was being.  He was willing to pay whatever it might cost to keep Atropos well fed and in good shape, but did the horse have to make it more difficult and more expensive all the time?  Atropos was amazing, but Kysis had to draw the line.  Hopefully Atropos could at least follow some rules.

Kysis followed the stablemaster into the small area beside Atropos\' stall, taking a look around.  His gear was well taken care of, which was nice to see.  His coin was being put to good use.  That was one of the things Kysis always stressed: if money was spent, it had better be efficient and worth while.  Otherwise, what was the point?  Some things could be allowed, but most were a question of quality in ratio to cost.  Marcos had taught him that much, at least.

The way was tricky to explain?  Damn.  Kysis had really be looking forward to the ride.  The next part took a moment to sink in before Kysis realized what was being said, blinking a few times and it hit him suddenly that he had to respond!  News of their engagement had made it around fast.  Hopefully Lam got to meet with the king before rumors reached his hears? "Thank you very much."  Kysis could not help but smile thinking about it.  Not only were they engaged, to be married in the spring, but Lam was pregnant (he hoped, and was sure she hoped too).

Not wanting to crush that second of joy, Kysis failed to mention his sister\'s death.  Kysis wanted to escape death right now.  He needed to.  It looked to be the only way he could cope right now, everything else falling short or failing out of the starting block.  Blowing off some steam on horseback sounded great.  He needed to start practicing for the exhibition soon, but that could happen after he had gotten a half-decent night\'s rest.  For now, Atropos could use the exercise and Kysis could use the escape.

"Atropos and Captain have gotten used to one another.  I don\'t think Atropos can even get along with other horses."  Kysis had approached his saddle, hand gliding over it, admiring how well it was being watched after.  Better than he had cared for it before, that was for sure.  It was beautiful because of it, too.  However, Kysis did not want to elaborate on why Lam was not here with him today.  She was busy elsewhere, taking care of things.  Alia\'s funeral for one...

"It would be great to take them out together.  Atropos will love it."

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher nodded curtly.  "Right," he grinned, his manner thoroughly business-like, "I\'ll go get Captain saddled and meet you downstairs."  That said, he spun on his heel and exited Atropos\' stable, heading next door to Captain\'s.  The two horses hadn\'t originally been stabled together, since Captain had been a gift to the captain from Lord Dagger, but once Atropos had returned from Greece with the chestnut stallion, it turned out a wiser thing for the two of them to be housed side by side, where they could communicate easily.

Once Captain was saddled - and the placid stallion was easy to control in that respect - Gallagher led him out of his stall and down the large ramp at the southern end of the stables.  He made mention of what he was doing now to anyone he passed so they would know not to look for him if they thought he was needed, advising he\'d probably be an hour or so.  He didn\'t normally run the horses for that long, but he had a feeling that Lord Liari would appreciate some extra time alone with his mount.

It turned out that Gallagher reached the ground first, but he stayed at the bottom of the ramp rubbing Captain\'s velvety nose in ways that annoyed and soothed him, laughing when the horse\'s tail lashed, and smiled when Atropos and Lord Liari joined them.  "Alright, let\'s show you the safest way out of this city on horseback!" he declared, swinging his long body lithely up into Captain\'s saddle and pausing only long enough to adjust the right stirrup.

As they walked their horses through the streets - shoulder to shoulder for the most part - Gallagher explained exactly why they were taking the route they were on.  Sometimes it was because it was a residential area but without cobblestones, so the horses\' hooves made less noise, other times it wa because it was a generally-deserted thoroughfare or simply because it was a predominantly industrial area where horses moving about where commonplace.  Whatever the case, they basically avoided all the places where pedestrians were likely to be, therefore also avoiding the gawking of interested eyes.

By the time they\'d crossed over the drawbridge, the two horses were eyeing one another off and tossing their manes.  It made Gallagher laugh as he watche dthem.  "These two are friendly but competitive too I think, yes?" he queried, looking over at lord Liari for confirmation of the horses\' behaviour.  He was riding on the noble\'s left and, as always, was surprised by the feisty way Captain - who was excellently trained - behaved whenever he got within biting distance of the beige stallion.  It was a friendly rivalry, as far as he\'d ever been able to tell, but he was interested in Atropos\' owner\'s take on things.

[Kysis]

Kysis took extreme mental notes on the path, planning on taking Atropos out more often now that he had settled in to his responsibilities for the most part.  He would be able to better manage his time, and take time for riding.  Yes, the next to weeks would be insane, but that was ok.  After that Kysis could take Atropos out on a nice, long ride, like he used to do in Kreos.  It was another way Oberon was going to replace his homeland, and he rather liked that.

He knew exactly how far away from Captain Kysis had to keep Atropos.  The two horses had gotten used to one another, but it was exactly as Gallagher thought: competition.  Atropos, whenever Kysis would try dropping him back into step with Captain, would nudge forward so was at least a nose ahead, which was troublesome through the city when Kysis was supposed to be the one following.  That was Atropos though.  He would have made a great racing horse, but the Liari family got a hold of him before anyone could subjugate Atropos into such a thing.  Racing was terrible, and Kysis was sure the warhorse was much happier here, even if he insisted upon being at least a little ahead.

"The first time we took Atropos and Captain out together, Atropos would not let Captain lead.  It was frustrating, but he has to be at least a little ahead, or he\'s not happy."  Kysis patted Atropos on the neck, the horse ignoring him completely.  Atropos was itching to run, Kysis could feel it from how tensed the horse was, just ready to go, head stretching forward to show it really wanted to go.

"Looks like he wants to run a bit, too."  Kysis let out a little laugh at that.  How typical of Atropos.  They had just gotten back from a long trip!  Wasn\'t Atropos at all happy about that?  It looked like Kysis was going to be spending quite  a lot of time riding in the near future (not that he minded in the least).

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher laughed, finding the idea of the captain\'s horse taking second place to another; Captain was rather used to leading, himself.  He couldn\'t imagine that dynamic was easy to stay on top of, but he had faith that Captain Wilson and Lord Liari were able to do it without too many problems at all (the thought of them together simply widened Bede\'s smile, too).

"Well then, a run he shall have!" the manager declared enthusiastically.  "We usually take the horses along this road to the forested area up ahead, just for the scenery," Gallagher explained, gesturing in the direction that the stable workers usually took, "but perhaps Atropos would prefer a road run?  Do you think I should try to keep up with Captain?" the blonde laughed, not really seeking permission to run the horse he was on, but simply to remain at the lord\'s side.

If he was an unwanted nuisance, now would be the time for him to be told.  He could describe the path he would take and then promise to meet Lord Liari back at the stables when he was done, no harm done, allowing the other to have time alone and at peace with his horse.  It wasn\'t as if the two of them would be talking non stop while they rode, but Gallagher could appreciate the desire to spend time with one\'s animal without interference; he was sensitive to human needs as well as animal ones.

[Kysis]

"Letting them run together would probably work more energy out of Atropos.  He needs it, so yes, definitely."  Kysis tapped Atropos on the sides with his booted heels, the horse feeling that, bolting as soon as that brief contact was broken.  Feeling the quickening rhythm of his horses gallop, Kysis stood up just slightly on his stirrups, keeping his bum just above the hard saddle, his bent down some to allow for less resistance, and less assault on himself by the wind.

His hair finally came free of its binding, the cord that held it through the day flying off.  Kysis hardly noticed, looking back to see what Captain was doing.  Two dominant male horses, that was for sure, but Atropos was not a nice horse in the way some were.  Atropos liked being on top, and was willing to push himself to the limits to express that, and to apply dominance.  It was almost like how competitive Kysis had been with his swordsmanship in Kreos.  Even after winning a few tournaments, Kysis had still practiced just as hard, tried just as much.

Why relent, anyway?

When he got to the forested area, Atropos decided it would be a fun obstacle course to run, darting this way and that to weave through trees, still trying to keep up speed.  The horse jumped high over a downed tree, turning  quickly to dart this way and that around and about other trees.  Atropos was having a great deal of fun.  Kysis was a bit tense, legs holding tight in to keep him on the horse.  It would be terrible to get thrown off, especially since it looked like Atropos was just starting.

[Existentially Odd]

Captain wasn\'t about to let Atropos get the better of him and so he shot to a gallop very quickly behind the other stallion, Gallagher giving him very little urging.  When the road they were travelling was straight, the chestnut managed to get a little bit ahead, for he was built for speed and was far sleeker than the heavily-muscled warhorse, but when they hit more rugged terrain, Atropos had the advantage.  Captain wasn\'t ready to admit that, though, and Bede grinned wildly through the whole ride.

Not being used to letting precious horses have their head, he was spurred on by Kysis\' example and rather enjoyed the freedom of keeping his seat upon the strong stallion.  Up hill and down dale they went, dodging trees, leaping over fallen branches and logs, having to be diverted from attempting to slide across frozen streams (Gallagher was convinced Atropos would have a go at it too, if it would give him a solid lead over Captain).

Eventually, they were getting too close to the mountains and Gallagher gave a whistle to get Lord Liari\'s attention, indicating with a flick of his head that they should veer out of the forest.  The mountains were not only home to the various wolf packs in the region, but tended to offer insecure footfalls for the horses, due to rock being buried beneath snow or holes where cave-dwelling animals not hibernating had snuffled for some food.  All in all, there was more danger to be found in such areas, and Gallagher was keen to avoid spoiling the day.

It took another twenty minutes to work their way free of the trees altogether and five after that to find the road that would take them back to the castle but, by that stage, the horses seemed content enough to slow down to a walk and get their breath back.  Gallagher felt much the same, having exerted himself so much over the past almost-hour to stay in the saddle, that he was already feeling the effects of such a sudden and harsh workout.

"Well," he panted, grinning over at Kysis when the lord drew alongside him (allowing Atropos to be in the lead slightly, of course) a few moments later, "I think that should keep them happy for a while, that\'s the hardest workout they\'ll have had in a week, that\'s for sure.  I think, when you took them to Greece, you just conditioned them into loving moving constantly, it\'s been tough keeping up with their energy since your return," Gallagher chuckled, reaching forward to slap and scratch Captain\'s neck affectionately.

[Kysis]

The moment he was signaled, Kysis steered back out of the forest, knowing it was probably best.  He did not want Atropos to push himself to exhaustion.  Atropos had a tendency of overdoing things.  Well, so did Kysis, but that was entirely not the focus of his thoughts, and he quickly batted that notion away.  He was a bit sweaty, a sheen on it against his skin, and now his hair fell in its usual neat but vaguely chaotic way around his face.  Kysis finally noticed that he lost the tie.  Oh well.  He could easily find another, and it was not like he had another meeting today.

His black attire was stuffy, and he really couldn\'t wait until he returned home to at least peel it off.  That, and he wanted to know how everyone\'s days went, fruitful or otherwise.  Rico and Lam had to arrange for everything.  Yes, he needed to know if there was anything else to be done.  Kysis was fully willing to help now.  Riding had really helped to work out some of his demons.

Kysis actually gave a smile and a slight laugh, rubbing Atropos\' neck at the comment. "I hope this satiates them for a while.  As much as I want Atropos to be happy, I don\'t want his caretakers to dislike him."  At that the warhorse snorted, bouncing his head.  Kysis figured Atropos did not care what his caretakers thought, as long as he got what he wanted.  Not surprising.

"I will probably be dropping in more often, to run Atropos around myself."  Kysis left out the part that he missed doing that.  It had been a ritual back in Kreos, for Kysis to go out and ride like the winds in his free time.  Atropos had really gotten spoiled by that, and now, being barred up in a stall most of the time.  It was a terrible transition, and Kysis felt bad for it. "If that is ok with you?" Since you are in charge was implied with that sentence.  If Gallagher wasn\'t the one in charge, Kysis would not have even bothered to pose the question to him.

[Existentially Odd]

The Stable Manager laughed good-naturedly and waved the question away, as if it were thoroughly unnecessary (which it was).  "Of course it is!  I\'d be appreciative, in fact, since I\'m the only one who can handle Atropos - besides you, of course - so I often have difficulty making room for him in my schedule.  This way, we can share the load and I\'ll feel less guilty about neglecting him," Gallagher chuckled, reaching across to pat the horse in question\'s flank.  The way his ears flicked at the unexpected contact only made him laugh more.

"You two make a fine pair," he complimented as he leaned back into his own saddle, admiring the regal-looking blonde now that his hair was whipped by the wind and he sat so stoically astride his proud warhorse.  The all-black attire was what really set Lord Liari apart and brought the possibly-embarrassing words from Gallagher\'s lips, but he was compelled to say it before his brain thought too much on the subject.  He found the lord attractive and wasn\'t the type to hold back when such feelings struck him (even though he certainly curbed his enthusiasm since he knew the man was engaged).  "You\'ll make a grand sight on the streets and out here on the land."

[Kysis]

It was reassuring to know that Gallagher was the only one who could handle Atropos (or rather the only one Atropos would let handle him), because Kysis knew his horse was in good hands.  Kysis had not told the story behind the horse when he first brought Atropos to the stables, so they did not realize just how important the horse was to him, but that did not seem to matter with Gallagher.  The man treated all horses with the respect they deserved, and caution in some instances.  That was a damn good thing.

However, the other comment was a touch odd.  Kysis did not really understand it, glancing down at himself before looking back up at their path.  He was seated back on his saddle again, legs no longer having to hold on with tensed muscles and tight gripping.  That was good.  His legs had started to get tired.  The saddle was hard, but familiar, and Kysis was looking forward to sitting in it more often.

Just, how would he look impressive though?  His hair was disheveled, he was sweaty, and he was perched on an angry horse.  Kysis did not bother asking though.  Lam had told him that wearing black did something to him, Kysis did not remember what.  Something about his fair hair?  Probably.  The black was of mourning, though, not to make him look regal.

"Um.... Thank you?"

Kysis was still unused to getting complements, and for that matter, not having a helm over his head most of the time, so this was all strange and new.  In that spirit, Kysis just ignored the odd comments, trying to keep a smile forced, as hard as it was.

What he wanted to know is if his looking regal would get Lady Blake to not see Kysis as Lam\'s screwtoy.

[Existentially Odd]

"Welcome," Gallagher shugged, grinning broadly.  He turned his attention back to the land they were passing but found it was too mundane to interest him - it was where he\'d grown up, and with such an intriguing foreigner by his side, there was far more of interest to talk about than the land he\'d seen since he\'d first begun walking.

"So tell me," he began eagerly, giving up his cool facade of staring nonchalantly about, much as the lord was, and turning slightly in his saddle to face Kysis, "are all the horses from Greece like Atropos?"

[Kysis]

"If all horses were like Atropos in Greece, no one there would ride them."  Kysis chuckled at this statement, ignoring Atropos\' whining.  The warhorse was too damn temperamental for his own good.  It had almost been the death of him once. "There was a group of horse racers who were about to put Atropos down when my father happened upon them and bought him."

There was worry in his tone as he said this, Kysis unable to school it out of his voice.  Atropos had been kicking and stomping and making all sorts of ruckus, trying to keep the horse racers away from him, not letting the rider anyway near him.  They could barely even get one strap of a saddle fastened before Atropos managed to break something on the brave soul who tried taming him.  That was how Atropos had been.  Kysis wouldn\'t say Atropos had mellowed, he\'d just attribute it to the different sort of people handling Atropos now.

"Atropos was a present for me.  The racers were all shocked when I managed to actually strap a saddle on Atropos and then ride him.  Their top trainer wasn\'t even able to do that."  Kysis kept rubbing Atropos\' neck, the horse not at all minding, though he kept a big, dark brown eye on Gallagher, making sure he wouldn\'t try to touch again.  Atropos was fiercely loyal, though Gallagher seemed to have won him over to an extent.  It was good.  If Atropos didn\'t like someone in the stables, he would never get fed or worked out.

[Existentially Odd]

"Put him down?" Gallagher gasped, thoroughly incensed at that notion.  "Admittedly, he\'s a handful, but I\'ve seen worse and horses are never that temperamental without cause, in my experience!" he declared indignantly, eyeing off the warhorse with shock.  "It would have been a terrible shame to have wasted such a magnificent beast," the Stable Manager decided, giving a perfunctory nod to his own judgment.

"Has he ever sired any foals?" he queried, looking at Kysis with extremely inquisitive blue eyes.  He\'d been pondering doing that, even though he hadn\'t had any requests per se, but nobles were always asking his opinion on horseflesh and trying to get a better, stronger animal to win them prestige and often money, one way or the other.  Bede had rather fancied mating Atropos with one particular strawberry mare he had stabled in Oberon, for her owner was the daring sort and always trusted his decisions.  The mare was swift but she had no stamina, he rather thought a pairing between her and Atropos would produce a perfect foal.

"And would you be interested in him doing so, if not?"

[Kysis]

"Atropos hurt a lot of the stable-hands where he was originally housed."  That was all he really had to say about why the horse racers wanted Atropos put down.  Kysis did not agree with them.  Be nice to a horse, and it would be nice in return.  Did the racers not think of that?  Of course not.  All they wanted was a fast, high performance horse, nothing else.  Some horses would take beatings and still run like there was no tomorrow, trying to win for their master.  Atropos was different.  Strike him once, and forever more was Atropos an enemy.

"I don\'t know of Atropos breeding, if he has or not.  I was rather lax on his holding in Kreos, so who knows."  Kysis thought about it for a moment, laughing, unable to keep his next comment in, even if it was a little inappropriate (by his standards). "Maybe Atropos is so angry because he never gets laid."

That was a humoring thought.  It worked that way with most humans.  Why wouldn\'t horses be the same?  Well, of course there were certain things which were different, but still.  Could animals be cranky if they never had sex?  Kysis had heard from more than one source that he had been rather volatile until he was getting laid.  Which infuriated him at first, but then he noticed the change himself, and decided that ignoring the comments of those people was best.  Tiberius\' joke cracking about it definitely got under his skin more than was good for him.

"It might be good to allow Atropos to breed though.  It would be a shame to let his warrior spirit and strength go with him and him alone."

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher\'s laugh at the lord\'s bawdy comment was loud and appreciative, causing even Captain\'s ears to perk back momentarily.  "You could be onto something there - though I think everyone would start questioning my sanity if I questioned owners of cranky horses as to when they think their animal last got laid!"

He eventually calmed down from laughing at the thought of such things to be able to focus on Kysis\' words, a new glint now flashing in his eyes as he threw a dimpled grin his companions way.  "So you wouldn\'t object to me finding a partner for him?  There\'s a mare I have at the stables that I think would make an excellent partner for Atropos - she\'s got the legs, he\'s got the muscle, I think they\'d make a fine baby.  Her owner is an adventurous spirit and trusts my decisions; you\'d have equal stakes in the foal, unless one of you decided it might be worth it to invest in full ownership of course," Gallagher added, being used to such business transactions.

"I suppose I shouldn\'t cross that bridge until we\'ve come to it, though," he chuckled, still grinning at Lord Liari but seeking his final approval on the matter.

[Kysis]

"They wanted to run Atropos on a track, but he wouldn\'t cooperate."  Kysis made that statement after hearing there was a female horse Gallagher had in mind, and one that ran like the wind, from the sounds of it.  Would the owner of said horse even want anything to do with the possible spirit Atropos might put into a foal?  That was another question, that could be sorted at a later date.  Kysis knew nothing about breeding horses, or who did it, only getting the why.  People always wanted a better horse.  Taking two horses with good traits and breeding them together made offspring (some of the times) with the same good traits.  It was a smart idea.

"I bet Atropos would appreciate it."

The warhorse probably had no idea of what they were talking about, though some people thought horses could understand humans.  Kysis was unsure, though Atropos often acted as though he did understand.  However, no matter what Atropos had to \'say\' about it at the moment, Kysis had the first say as to whether the warhorse got the opportunity or not.  Then, and only then, could Atropos decide if he was willing.

"It sounds like a good plan.  Is anything required of me in this?"  It was not that Kysis worried about the possible financial constraints of this whole process.  He already paid for the stalls for four carriage horses, Rico\'s horse, and Atropos.  Atropos had the best accommodations, but the other horses were not too far behind.  Kysis liked horses, so he did not mind spending money on them. "Anything at all?"

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher chuckled.  "No, just your permission.  I\'ll get the mare\'s owner\'s permission and then it\'s all up to the horses.  I don\'t know how they\'ll feel about doing anything this season, though.  Still, I\'ll put them in the run together every now and then and see if they take - hopefully he doesn\'t abuse her, though she\'s a willful little redhead if she sets her mind to something, and if she doesn\'t like the way he treats her, she\'ll stick up for herself.  Reckon he\'s got a thing for redheads like his owner?" the blonde grinned, tilting his head at Kysis mockingly, as if he were sizing the man up innocently.  The devilish glint in his eye showed that he knew exactly what he was saying, though.

[Kysis]

Kysis caught immediately when Gallagher started saying redhead in terms of the horse, looking over at him with a \'are you trying to say something?\' sort of look.  A platinum brow was cocked, Kysis listening intently.  Oh, well, it seemed Gallagher was saying exactly what Kysis thought he might, which meant his mind had cleared up a bit since this morning, when he was too distraught to even talk, much less think straight.  Perhaps the food had helped... He hadn\'t had lunch yet, but his recent forgetfulness concerning meals had made it so he didn\'t even feel it.  Mental note to self: eat upon arriving home.

The lord did manage a laugh though, as uncouth as he thought it was to mention horses mating and like it back to humans being together.  Well, Kysis had no clue as to what Atropos thought about redheads.  The horse did not mind Lam, had become less irritable towards her, but Kysis had never had Atropos near a red horse.  Could horses even see in color?  That would definitely determine whether or not Atropos would care.

"Oh, that is easier than I thought.  Alright.  Atropos is in."

The city gate was not too far away now, Kysis looking at it.  He always got a touch nervous this far away from a gate, with open land still around him and behind them.  The safe walls of Oberon were in sight, but..... this wasn\'t Kreos.  Kysis calmed his mind down quickly, hoping his sudden tense was not too visible.  An untrained eye might not pick it up, but Kysis was not so sure about Gallagher having a completely untrained eye.  He wasn\'t militaristic, so not trained in that way, but the man had to be on his toes with horses, notice things about them.

Luckily, Atropos decided to toss his head around and rear up a little on his back legs, making some noise.  Kysis sighed, rolling his eyes at the display. "We need to get back now, seriously Atropos.  You may have eaten, but I haven\'t, so back to the stall with you."  Atropos whined and flicked his ears impatiently, spurring Kysis to say some more. "If you act up more, no fun for you."

The horse was still giving quiet protest, not wanting to go back to Oberon yet.  Kysis refused to give Atropos another run, though.  This one had been tiring enough.  That, and he had not even left a note at the manor, so people might be worrying about him.  That wouldn\'t be good at all.

"I really hope this gets him to calm down a bit."

[Existentially Odd]

"It will," Gallagher assured Lord Liari good-naturedly, smiling at the antics of the pair.  He could tell that the two of them had a very close bond and understood a bit more about Atropos now because of it; the horse was very loyal, staying true to the one who loved him most.  It was a good thing.

"He always acts up once we try to head back inside, but once he\'s in his stall with a fresh drink of water and some feed, being brushed down, he\'s happy enough, even if he\'s trying to convince you he won\'t be."  The Stable Manager looked down at his own mount and patted Captain\'s neck with a grin, noting how the horse straightened up and lifted his hooves just that little bit higher once he saw his home city in sight.  It was obvious he understood his rank in the scheme of things and knew he belonged to someone special, being used to the attention of multitudes of eyes being turned to him whenever he passed.

Gallagher encouraged Kysis to retrace their path through the quieter streets of Oberon this time, letting him lead to be sure the lord could find his way in and out of the city independently.  If all else failed and he did take a wrong turn one day when he was alone, he\'d likely make it in and out without a drama on the streets he knew, but the risk of injuring an innocent bystander was higher if he took the more populated streets.  Atropos was a spirited horse, so Gallagher figured it was very important for the lord to learn his way.

"Well done," he commended when they passed through the inner gates and the stables were in sight.  "We\'ll make an Oberon local of you yet," he chuckled, which made him frown with curiosity.  "So are you and the captain planning to stay here in Oberon, or are you going to relocate down to your homeland?" he enquired, glancing at Kysis as he steered Captain towards the ramp at the southern end of the stables.

[Kysis]

It took a moment for Kysis to conjure up his memory of the route they took upon exiting Oberon proper, and then reverse the whole journey, but Kysis managed.  In fact, he did not take a wrong turn.  It was reassuring to know that his memory was still up to par, despite how much strain he had been going through lately.  His memory had always been something Kysis prided himself on, this time no different (though he did not show any outward displays of this, keeping it tucked away in his head, like usual).  Kysis was glad when they safely made it back to the stables, and their momentary lapse in conversation was broken.

For some reason, Kysis actually enjoyed what conversation he had with Gallagher.   They were not friends, not that close by a long shot, but could exchange ideas, opinions, the like, without anything judgmental cutting things off.  There was also an air of authority Kysis had picked up off Gallagher.  It helped, feeling like the one he was talking through was knowledgeable and there to help.

"Definitely staying in Oberon."  The answer came fast, without a moment\'s hesitation after Gallagher asked.  Perhaps he said it too fast?  Kysis did not think second of it, having already decided that he wanted to stay in Oberon a while ago, even before they got to Greece together (the they being he and Lam). "The stablehands at the Keep cannot even handle Atropos, so either way, it would be best if he remains here."

[Existentially Odd]

"I was thinking more about the fact that you might well be stealing our lovely Wilson away, but your horse matters too," he grinned, chuckling to show that he was only half serious.  Lord Liari wouldn\'t be the first noble he\'d talked to that had his sights only on his own business, not thinking about the greater consequences of his actions; it wasn\'t worth condemning the man for, but a friendly jibe wasn\'t completely unwarranted, either.

Gallagher waited until they\'d reached the top storey of the stables and dismounted before he continued, looking over Captain\'s withers towards his companion.  "If you have somewhere to be, you know I\'ll comb Atropos down, don\'t you?  I\'ll get someone else to do Captain and do Atropos myself."  It had seemed that Lord Liari was a little preoccupied and the last thing the Stable Manager wanted was him to feel obligated to stay, when he simply wasn\'t.  They at the stables could fare just fine without him.  "Don\'t feel you have to stay if you have other committments," he smiled encouragingly.

[Kysis]

Kysis gave Gallagher a look when the statement was made about his horse being important too.  That statement had been part a joke as well, but apparently the stablemaster did not see the humor in it.  There was a lot more to Kysis wanting to stay in Oberon than his horse or his mercantile success here, none of which reasons were any of Gallagher\'s business.  Assumptions were terrible things, and because of it, Kysis retracted his earlier thoughts of Gallagher being a good person to just talk with without worried.  That was a completely wrong assessment, bad on his part for assuming as well.

Dismounting, and ignoring the protesting Atropos gave when he did, Kysis looked over Captain towards the stablemaster, considering for a moment.  He probably did not even realize he was talking aloud in this. "All my meetings for today are over.... but damn, didn\'t tell anyone where I was going, either."

Clearing his throat (it felt rather scratchy, even afterwards), Kysis spoke up now, addressing Gallagher this time. "I wish I could stay, but I have a feeling some people at home will think I\'ve blown off being a lord too long already."  Kysis shook his head, a soft smile showing he disagreed, and almost thought they might give him some silly response upon returning home.  Probably not, now that he considered it.  He just hoped it wouldn\'t get an earload from either Lam or Rico, or that they didn\'t tag-team him with reprimands.  That might be too much for him to handle right now.

"I probably should go.  Sorry Atropos."  The horse was pissed off enough already to not really care if Kysis went or stayed, it seemed.  Atropos knew he was going back in his stall and wasn\'t all too happy about it.  Kysis staying to brush him down or leaving would not change that disposition.

[Existentially Odd]

Gallagher nodded, giving a cheery wave as he ducked under Captain\'s neck to take Atropos\' reins off the lord.  As he did, he looked up the stable corridor behind him and gave a piercing whistle that obviously meant something to his stablehands - to the horses, too, for three of them stuck their heads immediately over their stall doors, ears perked, even while two stableboys came hurrying from the far end of the building.

"Not to worry, Lord Liari," he then told the platinum blonde calmly, flashing dimples as he negligently handed Captain\'s rains behind him but hung on to Atropos.  "He\'s in good hands.  You go home to yours and let them know we had a bit of fun without them," he grinned conspiratorially, dropping a wink and listening to Kysis\' farewell before he took his warhorse into his stable to tend to.