The shallow bay Egilrun is situated upon is used, these trials, for crafts and crafting. From boatmakers to weaponsmiths, glassblowers to metalworkers, the sound of hammers and saws can be heard almost every break of the trial, with crews working in shifts to produce the beautiful craftsmanship which they might, one trial, become famous for.
Having woken early, it was time to pack once again. Newly arrived in Egilrun a few trials prior, Natalia had been given an offer she found too difficult to pass up and as such, she would be leaving the town prematurely. Such was life – it liked its surprises.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that she was ever-so-intrigued about the short trip she was about to take with an Element patrol, and more specifically one Woe Morandi, Natalia might have admitted to being a bit nervous. Change was a part of life and as such, the young woman realized the necessity of not being set in one’s ways or inflexible, but curiosity reigned where the man’s offer was concerned. He had known her all of a break before extending the invitation to accompany him to Scalvoris-Town, citing wanting a friendly face and good conversation. Was that the true intention? And why was it that she had been so eager to agree? Mysteries abound. Natalia simply had no idea but she was determined to find out.
What she did know, however, was that she had left Scalvoris Town to find something different. ‘Different’ intrinsically meant change. There was risk involved with change…but there was also much to be gained. Natalia wouldn’t be one of those people that shirked from life because it made her a little anxious.
Packing the rest of her clothing up, she laid out her traveling outfit on the bed, casting a quick gaze over it to make sure everything was there. Resplendent in deep plum and gold, her riding outfit was the one set of clothing she hadn’t been able to leave behind at her parent’s estate. A gift from her grandfather, it had special meaning to her.
Braiding and arranging her hair, she pinned a few pieces here and there, applied her perfume – every so lightly – and pronounced herself ready to dress. Dressing was the last thing one should do if they could help it.
Situating the overcoat on her outfit, Natalia grabbed her bag and headed out of the room, down the stairs and out to the stables, where an old friend waited for her.
Renaissance had also been a gift from her grandfather. The horse had been raised on their estate and while Natalia had never ridden him before coming to Egilrun, they had spent much time together in the fields and woods, simply being together. When she left her family, Natalia had been insistent that the horse was coming with her and no one argued the point.
Last edited by Natalia Gregorios on Sat May 22, 2021 3:36 pm, edited 2 times in total. word count: 439
"A girl should be two things: who and what she wants."
The beautiful Oakleigh waited for her, patient as he always was, prancing only slightly as she approached, eliciting a smile. “Good morning to you too, Handsome Boy. Now, we are going to be traveling totrial with some profoundly serious men. I expect you to be on your best behavior and not bruise my ass too much, alright? Well, that last part really is on me, but try to be kind?”
Over the arcs, Renaissance, or Renny as she called him generally, had become something of a sounding board for her. He understood her like no other, always offering exactly what she needed in the way of support or comfort. There had been nights where Natalia had simply holed up in Renny’s stall, preferring to sleep there than her own bed, leaning against the magnificent creature, drawing strength from him. Others thought of her as tough, calm, composed but what people didn’t realize is that usually, there was a cacophony of emotions just below the surface. She had taught herself to suppress any outward signs of them to a degree, but she still felt them.
And now it was just the two of them taking on the world together. Well, Scalvoris to start.
Moving to the rack nearby, Natalia grabbed a saddle blanket and tossed it on up over the horse’s back, situating it just so. The blanket needed to be big enough so the entire saddle would be in contact with it instead of the horse’s skin – that was essential. Then came the saddle, which landed softly on the creature. Natalia wasn’t very strong, and women tended to have less upper body strength than men, but she had placed a saddle enough times that she knew how to do it without hurting a horse.
Securing the cinch strap, she tested the snugness of it with her hand, determining it to be adequate. Natalia disliked putting the harness and reins on too soon, so she always waited to do that last, right before she mounted him, choosing instead to stow her bag and get everything situated with the saddle first. The trip itself wasn’t a long one and the terrain fairly level so she wasn’t too worried about things coming loose, but it was always best to double-check things before mounting a horse.
Smiling, she gently pulled some apple slices out of her pocket, offering them up to her companion. It was something of a tradition, before departing on one of their adventures. Rubbing his nose gently, Natalia placed her forehead against his, closed her eyes, and focused on the trial ahead. People sometimes didn’t realize how draining it could be interacting with others all the time, and she had a small contingent on someones she would be traveling with. The evening before, with Woe, everything had been fine. One-on-one conversations, like the one they had participated in, served to energize the young woman, but group affairs were a bit more challenging. More to pay attention to, watch, listen, etc. They were, in other words, taxing. Regardless, she didn't regret accepting Woe's offer in the least. Natalia wanted to get to know the mysterious man and spend time with him.
Often, in her former life, she had begun trials that she felt would be excessively social with a quick meditation of sorts. It was something she had learned from an acquaintance, having adapted it to suit her needs. It probably wasn’t what some would consider appropriate meditation, but it seemed to work for her.
Last edited by Natalia Gregorios on Sat May 22, 2021 3:38 pm, edited 2 times in total. word count: 601
"A girl should be two things: who and what she wants."
Spending time with Renny always centered Natalia, allowing her to focus on pulling in her feelings and making it easier to project that which was useful – an exterior of calm. She was, by no means, an overly emotional young woman, but emotions had their purpose, and she wasn’t above channeling them however she saw fit.
Breathe in, Breathe out. Forehead against Renny’s, who always seemed to know when she simply needed him to be still, Natalia welcomed in the brisk morning air, imagining the pleasant scenery they would pass on their way to Scalvoris-Town, focusing on how she wanted to compose herself with the others she would be with.
Regarding Woe, that was a bit of a question mark. She, certainly, wanted to know more about him but pushing wasn’t her style. She had already given up more information about herself to him than would normally have been imparted, but something told her….no. She couldn’t take that leap yet. Lacking experience with more personal relationships and trust, Natalia couldn’t say that she felt her information was safe with him. There was a desire to, and she felt it, but one needed to understand their weaknesses and trust was a huge one for her.
She simply didn’t. Trust, that was. Trust got one hurt.
In her opinion, and based on experience, the only person one could rely on was themselves. Being such, she had learned to take what others offered and said with low expectations. In truth, the entire trip she was taking had been approached within the lens of low expectations, until Woe. And that was part of the reason she felt so off-balance. Someone was exceeding her hopes, forcing her to reevaluate if she should raise the bar and see what would happen.
Life was full of risk.
Sighing softly, she placed a kiss on the horse’s forehead. Her mind was still a flutter of activity, mulling over what she should do. Perhaps the answer would present itself if she just got on with things and stopped worrying about it.
Patting Renny’s neck gently, she moved to the nearby rack and collected his harness and reins, quickly placing them as she had been shown and practiced before. The abilities were slowly coming back to her, but she knew with horses that it took time and a lot of training to feel comfortable with their equipment and care, and she didn’t want to take that responsibility for granted.
Taking the reins up in her hands, she stepped her foot up into the stirrup, grabbed onto the horn of the saddle, and pulled herself up, groaning a bit at the excursion. Situating the reins took a moment or two but before long, she was steering the horse away from the stable, off to meet Woe at the Ranger’s Hall and see what the new trial had to offer her.
She hadn't, however, seen the man watching her from nearby. Sighing, he kicked the ground with a bit of frustration. The girl was proving to be a bit more challenging than he had anticipated and his plans were constantly changing in regards to how he would see out what he had been contracted to do. Horse and pack in hand, it was obvious she was leaving the town and he had no choice but to follow...
word count: 572
"A girl should be two things: who and what she wants."
Knowledge:
Mount - Land - Secure cinch snugly, double-check always
Mount - Land - Use horn
Strength - Saddles are heavy!
Strength - Pulling one's self up into a saddle
Meditation - Pull in calmness, push out tension
Psychology - One's ability to trust can be tainted by past experience
Comments: I’ve enjoyed Natalia’s threads so far. She seems to be quite different from Elisabeth. I wonder what will happen during her trip to Scalvoris Town with Woe. I can’t wait to find out!
That being said, I thought that her interaction with Renaissance was well written, and I like that you also described what her relationship with him is like, and what he means to her.
I also appreciate the detail in which you described Natalia saddling Renaissance and mounting him. He’s a beautiful horse, by the way!
When I started reading, I thought that this would be a comparatively relaxing thread about Natalia and her horse. The last paragraph provided a bit of tension. I’m worried about the man watching her.
I have the feeling that he has something to do with a certain ex-fiancé …
