The Horsehearted
Chapter 1: Jo Meets Onua
Jo trotted her horse Ferdinand down the road. The sun was low in the sky and for once there were no streams or meadows to camp by. Finally, Jo turned around and rode Ferdinand to a stream she had passed a few miles up the track. It was dark by the time she reached a place to camp. Jo removed Ferdinand's worn old bridle with a tired groan. It was too dark to hunt and she would have to go without dinner. Game was scarce along the road and Jo had failed to find any thing for breakfast that morning.
"I wish the vegetation wasn't so picked over by travelers." Jo complained. Why don't you just eat grass, Ferdinand sighed.
"Because it tastes nasty." Jo exclaimed.
She unpacked her mule, Jenny, and laid out her bedroll. Jo didn't bother to build a fire since she wasn't cooking.
Jenny stood calmly, aloof to all that was happening around her.
" Jenny, do you want to sleep over here with Ferdinand and I?" Jo inquired. No thank you Jenny sniffed.
Jo lay down and fell asleep the moment her head hit the ground, her arm slung over Ferdinand's barrel.
She and Ferdinand were galloping over open prairie. There was not a tree in sight. The path was straight. 'Not twisted and winding, like these impossible forest trails.' Jo thought. Ferdinand's stride was eating up the ground."Not so fast!" she called. Then Jo realized that she was the one galloping across the prairie. She let her legs take control and enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping through her mane. A small creek bed loomed in front of her. Jo jumped it with ease, snapping up her knees and rounding her back. Gradually, a haze overtook the land. Soon Jo could see only a few feet in front of her. She tried to stop, but her legs kept going. A sheer cliff stood only a foot away. Her feet carried her over the edge. A sick feeling of falling erupted from the pit of her stomach and reverberated throughout her body. She saw the ground coming toward her, coming to eat her, swallow her up like she never existed. Then everything was black.
Something tickled Jo's face. She opened her eyes and saw a big, round, soft 'thing'. The 'thing' blew hot, sweet smelling air into her face. Shaken out of her sleep Jo stood up and grabbed for her bow. She looked up and smiled in relief. The 'thing' was just a pony or actually about twenty-five ponies.
"Hello." Jo said loudly so all the horses could hear, "Who do you all belong to?"
The raven-haired woman. The horse that sniffed her said.
Jo scowled, she wished they could have given her a more accurate description. Then, she remembered the woman she had passed on the road earlier that day. The woman had been wearing a uniform that proclaimed her the horsemistress for the Queen's Riders.
"Come along!" Jo called, finding the route the horses had taken from that woman's camp. She mounted Ferdinand with difficulty because he was such a tall horse and she was so very tired.
"Oh, Jo, you are such an idiot!" Jo exclaimed to herself and gave herself a smack on the head for emphasis. The woman had the Gift and like any person travelling alone would ward her camp against detection. Jo slipped off Ferdinand and went to her bedroll. Besides, the woman probably would have shot anyone prowling around her camp at night with about twenty-five of her horses.
Jo woke two hours before dawn. She headed out to hunt grabbing her bow. She slipped silently through the woods, looking for a game trail or a watering place. After an hour Jo gave up and went back to her camp. On the way back to camp, Jo found some edible roots. When she returned, she fetched some water and boiled the roots. How can you eat that? Jenny said, turning up her upper lip in disgust.
"It's a lot better than grass." Jo said calmly. She was much more patient with animals than people. "Do you want a bite?" Jenny shuddered There is no way I will eat cooked food. Anything that is touched by something as scary as that flashy, hot stuff has to be gross. "Alright." Jo replied. She never could connect with Jenny like she did with all of the other horses. Jo packed up her camp. "Jenny do you want Ferdinand to carry the supplies and have me ride you?" No, I'm fine. Jenny said flatly. Jo sighed and placed her things on the pack mule. When she was loaded up she slipped on Ferdinand's bridle and mounted bareback. She didn't have enough money for a saddle. "Why did the Shang Falcon have to leave me his war horse instead of a pony." Jo said with a groan as she heaved herself aboard Ferdinand. Because you were like a daughter to him and he knew you would take good care of me when he died. Ferdinand replied sedately.
"Come on everybody! Let get moving!" Jo called to the few remaining stragglers who were greedily munching on bits of grass as they moseyed their way toward her.
Jo easily picked up their trail. It was a walk in the park for such a skilled tracker as she to backtrack the horses to their camp.
After meandering through the woods for an hour, Jo saw a crimson magical fire protecting a campsite from thieves and prowlers. In the dim light she saw a K'mir woman with a small recurved bow standing ready. "Excuse me!" Jo called through the trees, "I'm sorry to wake you but, about twenty-five of your horses got loose during the night. I'm here to return them." The K'mir lowered her bow looking shocked for a moment. Then, regaining her stern, harsh look she called, "Are you alone?" Jo could feel the woman was using sorcery to test if Jo was lying.
"Yes!" Jo cried. She did not like the idea of anyone knowing how absolutely defenseless she was but it didn't look like she had any other choice. The woman interrupted her thoughts by saying, "Come out with your hands where I can see them and bring the ponies." The wall of scarlet fire vanished and Jo rode into the camp. Jo walked carefully eyeing the bow in the woman's hands. The ponies followed warily catching Jo's hesitation at riding into a strange person's camp. Don't worry she is a very good person. You will like her very much. Said a strange sorrel pony that was picketed to the ground.
"What is your name?" said a cold clear voice from the other side of the camp. Jo again could feel the magic testing her. If she lied the woman would know.
"My full name is Josana Falconsri, but most call me Jo." The woman seemed to warm a little bit knowing Jo had given her real name.
"Where are you from? You seem awfully young to be on the road alone."
"I'm from the Pao Canyon." Jo replied, at the K'mir's confused look, Jo added, "It's a small village in Gallan plains. My old boss died and I am looking for a job." The woman nodded knowingly.
"What was your job? By the way my name's Onua." Onua inquired
"I was an hostler, and I did a little bit of training too." She said, absently scratching Ferdinand's withers.
"How old are you? Do you know how to hunt or your way around a camp?" Onua asked. Jo looked at Onua like she was crazy. Everyone should know how to hunt. Jo had been working around camps since before she could remember.
"Of course I do." Jo said with a scowl, "And I'm fourteen." Onua looked Jo over. She had shoulder length dark blonde hair and murky eyes with green and brown swimming together like rubbish in a sewer. Onua looked over her horse. He was obviously stolen; such a fine war-horse would not be owned by someone as poor as Jo appeared to be. Then Onua thought about the ponies; the closeness between the girl and the horses reminded her of how close Daine was with animals. Thief or not Jo was a remarkable hand with horses-anyone that could drive twenty-five horses through the woods with out any lead lines and in the dark had to be good. Finally, Onua said, "You said you were looking for a job."
Jo said in a soft quiet voice, "Yes ma'am."
"How about you work for me as my assistant, if I'd had some help my horses wouldn't have run off in he first place." Onua stated practically. Jo looked at the older woman, startled. It took a few moments for Jo to see Onua was serious.
"W-well yes ma'am, I-I'd love to." Jo sputtered.
"Then you start right now." Onua said, "Put lead lines on those horses and help me pack up." Jo did as she was told and silently helped Onua pack up the camp.
By the time the sun rose they were on the road. Jo sat Ferdinand silently wondering why that woman had taken her on so quickly. Jo was afraid that Onua would try to steal Ferdinand. He interrupted her thoughts by asking, What are you worrying about? "Oh, nothing." Jo said leaning forward and affectionately rubbing Ferdinand's neck. You are worrying, he insisted, tell me what it is about. "I'm not worrying!" Jo cried, exasperated. Then blushed at the odd look Onua gave her. Jo glowered at Ferdinand's withers calling herself an idiot for talking to a horse when someone was watching. You aren't stupid. Insisted the sorrel she had talked to earlier that day. "Humph!" was all Jo could say.
Onua looked at Jo out of the corner of her eye. The girl was much like Daine. She could almost feel the wild magic leaking out of her. Onua had to show Jo to Numair. "So, Jo, what are the Gallan Plains like?" Onua asked.
Jo looked at her sharply, then said, "It is a very unique region. A scholar would likely give you a much more accurate discription."
"I hear the weather is really harsh." Onua said
"The air is very dry, and the wind is always blowing. The summers are hot. The winters are cold. It's harsh, but you can't keep from missing it when you leave." Embarrassed by the show of emotion, Jo blushed and picked at Ferdinand's mane. The ponies followed along meekly. If one of them started to fuss, a dirty look from Jo was all it took to make them get back in line.
At noon Onua broke the silence that had stretched across the morning by saying, "We'd better stop and eat lunch." Jo looked at her like she was crazy. What is this woman talking about? Jo thought. What was that thing called lunch.
"Why are we stopping?" Jo said.
"For a bite to eat, aren't you hungry?" Onua replied.
"But why stop in the middle of the day." Jo insisted.
"For lunch." Onua said, confused at Jo's own confusion, "Don't Gallan plainsmen have a meal at midday?"
"No." Jo murmured ashamedly, looking at Ferdinand's withers, why couldn't she just hold her tongue. Now she'd made Onua angry for sure.
"Hey, I'm not going to bite." Onua said cheerily, giving Jo a playful punch in the shoulder. Jo looked up and gave her a tiny hint of a smile. Spurred on by the small smile Onua continued, "Did you face really move, or was it the wind, I could have sworn it was frozen in place." Onua said with a grin. This time Jo rewarded Onua with a full smile. When Jo smiled the ponies seemed to pick up their feet and raise their heads. The sun shined brighter and even the trees looked happier. Wow, Onua thought, That's almost eerie. A troublesome bay pony pinned its ears at a passing horse. Jo barked at it and the magic ended. The ponies resumed their usual disposition and everything went back to the normal choking silence that had enveloped them earlier.
"Here we are." Onua said, trying to break the awkward silence that had ensued over the past ten minutes as she looked for a campsite. Jo dismounted and set up the picket lines on which to tie the horses. Onua reached into her packs and drew out a loaf of bread and some jerked venison. Drawing her knife out of its sheath, Onua cut the loaf of bread in half and offered it Jo.
"Yes, please, I'm hungry." Jo said politely. Jo scarfed down her meal in record timing while still managing to use perfect table manners. When she finished, Jo approached Jenny's packs and to Onua's surprise brought out an ancient looking book.
"What's that?" Onua said, curiously bending her head to see the title of the book. "The Basics of Dressage. Wow, what's dressage."
"Dressage is a little like dancing, only for horses." Jo said, looking at Onua curiously.
"Like dancing?" Onua asked eagerly, "Can you do it?"
"A little." Jo said, looking down at her feet.
"Could you show me a few moves once we get on the road?"
"I suppose." Jo murmured. Onua settled down to eat her lunch as Jo looked over the ponies. Onua looked at her as she ran her hands over each horse talking softly to them, sternly to some, and sweetly to others.
After Onua finished her lunch she said, "Now about that, uh, what's it called again? Something- awj?"
"Dressage." Jo supplied.
"Now about that dressage, can I see some?"
"I suppose." Jo said quietly as she mounted Ferdinand.
First she walked, trotted, and cantered around the small clearing, stretching Ferdinand's legs. After cantering both directions she slowed Ferdinand to a trot. Sitting instead of posting, she closed her eyes and focused on Ferdinand until all she felt was Ferdinand. When Jo opened her eyes again she could feel her/Ferdinand's legs beating a simple posting trot. She brought in her nose and rounded her back, drawing her hind feet further forward under her stomach. She then extended her front feet.
Onua watched in awe as Jo and Ferdinand practically floated over the ground in an extended trot. For the next fifteen minutes Jo executed a series of complicated moves that would have mesmerized anybody, whether they liked horses or not.
She ended her display with a sliding stop (she had thought up that move). Coming back to herself was disappointing. She almost wished she could have been Ferdinand/Jo forever. Onua was looking at her with wide eyes. "Wow, how did you get him to do all of that?" Onua asked, "Is it hard?"
"No," Jo said, turning a beet red and focusing on Ferdinand's withers, she added, "You really just do what the book says I guess."
Onua barraged Jo with questions about dressage until Jo finally gave Onua her book and told her to read it for herself. Onua raised her eyebrows, "Did I just hear Josana Falconsri get irritated by me?" Onua said giving Jo a pat on the back and a grin to know she was joking.
"Well, if you saw a forty year old woman asking questions like a school girl, I'm sure you would be a little flustered too." Jo shot back, feeling a hint of irritation worm its way into her usually calm voice. Onua just grinned and continued riding.
The ponies were fussing and arguing. It took all of Onua and Jo's strength to calm them. After ten minutes of riding, the ponies seemed to relax. Jo had assumed her usual neutral look that gave away no feelings, but the air had a pleasant feel to it.
They continued to travel at an easy pace, Jo, who had long forgotten to be wary of talking to horses in front of Onua, was in a in a deep argument with a dun gelding about the ethics of taming wild horses. The afternoon wore on and more horses joined the argument until Jo finally shouted, giving the dun an angry look, "Okay, you win, I give up, satisfied."
She looked at the sun. It was low in the sky. Onua caught her looking at the sun and said, "There's a camp half of a mile up."
Jo nodded and said, "Oh."
When they got to the camp Jo got out her bow and quiver and trotted down a thin game trail winding through the woods. Jo crept through the forest on cat feet, not making a single sound. Then, she found a few small tracks. Rabbit judging from the pattern of its footfalls, she thought. Jo followed the tracks to a rabbit den. All of a sudden a rabbit sprang up from seemingly nowhere, followed by another. Jo shot the first one smoothly in the windpipe. She then swiftly drew another arrow from her quiver and shot the second one in the stomach, drawing her dagger, Jo strode up to the rabbit and ended its life.
She grabbed her kills by their ears and marched back to camp. The first rabbit she had shot would make a nice skin. She could use it to line her winter clothes.
`
When Jo arrived back at camp, Onua, busy digging the latrine, just nodded to acknowledge her presence then went back to digging. Jo skinned and gutted each animal with deft movements of her knife. When Jo was done, she found several dead tree branches, two with forked ends. Jo whittled the ends of them and poked them into the ground. She speared the rabbit carcasses and hung them on the two forked sticks above the fire pit to cook. Jo cleaned the skin of the first rabbit and pegged it out to dry with the remaining sticks. Now that I have the spit set I have to start the fire, she thought. Jo picked up her steel, flint and tinder and began the difficult process of coaxing a flame out of the kindling. Jo was very skilled at this (she had started many fires before today). Soon a small flame began to tremblingly creep its way upward. She started blowing, and begging and in a matter of minutes the flame ate up its kindling. Jo fed larger and larger branches into the greedy fire. When the flame was large enough she stood back and tried to see where else that she could be of use. The ponies probably need a going over, she thought. She went over to her packs and grabbed a mane comb, curry, hoofpick, and hard bristled brush. Jo went over the horses, giving them not a thorough grooming but enough of one as not to shame herself and Onua.
All of a sudden Onua showed up. Judging from her wet hair and pink face, Jo assumed that she had been washing. "Is there a place to wash?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, there is, go about a half of a furlong (1/16 of a mile) east and you'll find a stream." Onua replied.
"Well, I'll go wash." Jo said calmly, going to her packs and retrieving a rough, loosely woven brown shirt and a pair of breeches.
When Jo returned from washing, she found Onua had supper ready. She was hungry. Using all of the table manners that old Avril taught her. Avril had once worked in the Scanran court until he supported the wrong king and had to flee to the Gallan plains in order to save his life. Jo daintily gobbled down her food. His stiff manners had stuck and he had spent much time with her when she was an infant, the result was that Jo could speak fluent Scanran and had perfect table manners.
After dinner, Jo pulled out her dagger and whittled while Onua reminisced about the immortals war and how she and one of her friends discovered the greatest wildmage in the world. Jo did not have the foggiest idea what a wildmage was and even though she itching to find out Jo kept her mouth shut-she didn't want to look more idiotic than she already did. "You are pretty good with animals." Onua said bringing the story of Numair Salmalin's victory against a famous Scanran mage to an abrupt close.
Jo shrugged, "You have to be good out there."
"Maybe you are a wildmage yourself." Onua ventured.
"There is nothing magical about me." Jo stated calmly, "I am glad that don't have a Gift. It saves me from all of that university fiddle-faddle." And with that Jo returned to her whittling that was starting to look more and more like a horse with every moment that passed. Onua returned to her stories and began talking about how the queen had arrived in Corus. It was late when Onua finally realized it was time to turn in. She gathered her supplies and began to ward the camp. Jo pulled out her bedroll and laid it out on the ground. Jo leaned back and stared at the stars, blinking back tears. During the day she didn't have to remember but at night her memory tore her apart. Jo rolled over on her stomach hoping that Onua wouldn't see the tears on Jo's cheeks. She could still see herself killing Cyril. The sick crunch of the knife as it entered his body, the body of the man that had taught her how to hunt. How could she be so cold as to kill the man that taught her how to hunt? It was either his life or yours said a voice in the back of her mind.
Jo tormented herself for an hour with such thoughts. Gradually, the tears dried and she became aware of the problem of getting to sleep with the red fire of Onua's Gift shining every where. She tossed and turned but no matter what direction she faced it was there to torment her. Finally Jo lay her head in the crook of her arm and shut her eyes as tight as they would go, but to no avail; the lights had just as strong a presence in her mind as it did in her vision. Giving up on sleep Jo sat up and pulled her awl a deer hide she brought with her out of her packs, and dedicated herself to the task of making her winter clothes by the light of Onua's ward.
Chapter 1: Jo Meets Onua
Jo trotted her horse Ferdinand down the road. The sun was low in the sky and for once there were no streams or meadows to camp by. Finally, Jo turned around and rode Ferdinand to a stream she had passed a few miles up the track. It was dark by the time she reached a place to camp. Jo removed Ferdinand's worn old bridle with a tired groan. It was too dark to hunt and she would have to go without dinner. Game was scarce along the road and Jo had failed to find any thing for breakfast that morning.
"I wish the vegetation wasn't so picked over by travelers." Jo complained. Why don't you just eat grass, Ferdinand sighed.
"Because it tastes nasty." Jo exclaimed.
She unpacked her mule, Jenny, and laid out her bedroll. Jo didn't bother to build a fire since she wasn't cooking.
Jenny stood calmly, aloof to all that was happening around her.
" Jenny, do you want to sleep over here with Ferdinand and I?" Jo inquired. No thank you Jenny sniffed.
Jo lay down and fell asleep the moment her head hit the ground, her arm slung over Ferdinand's barrel.
She and Ferdinand were galloping over open prairie. There was not a tree in sight. The path was straight. 'Not twisted and winding, like these impossible forest trails.' Jo thought. Ferdinand's stride was eating up the ground."Not so fast!" she called. Then Jo realized that she was the one galloping across the prairie. She let her legs take control and enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping through her mane. A small creek bed loomed in front of her. Jo jumped it with ease, snapping up her knees and rounding her back. Gradually, a haze overtook the land. Soon Jo could see only a few feet in front of her. She tried to stop, but her legs kept going. A sheer cliff stood only a foot away. Her feet carried her over the edge. A sick feeling of falling erupted from the pit of her stomach and reverberated throughout her body. She saw the ground coming toward her, coming to eat her, swallow her up like she never existed. Then everything was black.
Something tickled Jo's face. She opened her eyes and saw a big, round, soft 'thing'. The 'thing' blew hot, sweet smelling air into her face. Shaken out of her sleep Jo stood up and grabbed for her bow. She looked up and smiled in relief. The 'thing' was just a pony or actually about twenty-five ponies.
"Hello." Jo said loudly so all the horses could hear, "Who do you all belong to?"
The raven-haired woman. The horse that sniffed her said.
Jo scowled, she wished they could have given her a more accurate description. Then, she remembered the woman she had passed on the road earlier that day. The woman had been wearing a uniform that proclaimed her the horsemistress for the Queen's Riders.
"Come along!" Jo called, finding the route the horses had taken from that woman's camp. She mounted Ferdinand with difficulty because he was such a tall horse and she was so very tired.
"Oh, Jo, you are such an idiot!" Jo exclaimed to herself and gave herself a smack on the head for emphasis. The woman had the Gift and like any person travelling alone would ward her camp against detection. Jo slipped off Ferdinand and went to her bedroll. Besides, the woman probably would have shot anyone prowling around her camp at night with about twenty-five of her horses.
Jo woke two hours before dawn. She headed out to hunt grabbing her bow. She slipped silently through the woods, looking for a game trail or a watering place. After an hour Jo gave up and went back to her camp. On the way back to camp, Jo found some edible roots. When she returned, she fetched some water and boiled the roots. How can you eat that? Jenny said, turning up her upper lip in disgust.
"It's a lot better than grass." Jo said calmly. She was much more patient with animals than people. "Do you want a bite?" Jenny shuddered There is no way I will eat cooked food. Anything that is touched by something as scary as that flashy, hot stuff has to be gross. "Alright." Jo replied. She never could connect with Jenny like she did with all of the other horses. Jo packed up her camp. "Jenny do you want Ferdinand to carry the supplies and have me ride you?" No, I'm fine. Jenny said flatly. Jo sighed and placed her things on the pack mule. When she was loaded up she slipped on Ferdinand's bridle and mounted bareback. She didn't have enough money for a saddle. "Why did the Shang Falcon have to leave me his war horse instead of a pony." Jo said with a groan as she heaved herself aboard Ferdinand. Because you were like a daughter to him and he knew you would take good care of me when he died. Ferdinand replied sedately.
"Come on everybody! Let get moving!" Jo called to the few remaining stragglers who were greedily munching on bits of grass as they moseyed their way toward her.
Jo easily picked up their trail. It was a walk in the park for such a skilled tracker as she to backtrack the horses to their camp.
After meandering through the woods for an hour, Jo saw a crimson magical fire protecting a campsite from thieves and prowlers. In the dim light she saw a K'mir woman with a small recurved bow standing ready. "Excuse me!" Jo called through the trees, "I'm sorry to wake you but, about twenty-five of your horses got loose during the night. I'm here to return them." The K'mir lowered her bow looking shocked for a moment. Then, regaining her stern, harsh look she called, "Are you alone?" Jo could feel the woman was using sorcery to test if Jo was lying.
"Yes!" Jo cried. She did not like the idea of anyone knowing how absolutely defenseless she was but it didn't look like she had any other choice. The woman interrupted her thoughts by saying, "Come out with your hands where I can see them and bring the ponies." The wall of scarlet fire vanished and Jo rode into the camp. Jo walked carefully eyeing the bow in the woman's hands. The ponies followed warily catching Jo's hesitation at riding into a strange person's camp. Don't worry she is a very good person. You will like her very much. Said a strange sorrel pony that was picketed to the ground.
"What is your name?" said a cold clear voice from the other side of the camp. Jo again could feel the magic testing her. If she lied the woman would know.
"My full name is Josana Falconsri, but most call me Jo." The woman seemed to warm a little bit knowing Jo had given her real name.
"Where are you from? You seem awfully young to be on the road alone."
"I'm from the Pao Canyon." Jo replied, at the K'mir's confused look, Jo added, "It's a small village in Gallan plains. My old boss died and I am looking for a job." The woman nodded knowingly.
"What was your job? By the way my name's Onua." Onua inquired
"I was an hostler, and I did a little bit of training too." She said, absently scratching Ferdinand's withers.
"How old are you? Do you know how to hunt or your way around a camp?" Onua asked. Jo looked at Onua like she was crazy. Everyone should know how to hunt. Jo had been working around camps since before she could remember.
"Of course I do." Jo said with a scowl, "And I'm fourteen." Onua looked Jo over. She had shoulder length dark blonde hair and murky eyes with green and brown swimming together like rubbish in a sewer. Onua looked over her horse. He was obviously stolen; such a fine war-horse would not be owned by someone as poor as Jo appeared to be. Then Onua thought about the ponies; the closeness between the girl and the horses reminded her of how close Daine was with animals. Thief or not Jo was a remarkable hand with horses-anyone that could drive twenty-five horses through the woods with out any lead lines and in the dark had to be good. Finally, Onua said, "You said you were looking for a job."
Jo said in a soft quiet voice, "Yes ma'am."
"How about you work for me as my assistant, if I'd had some help my horses wouldn't have run off in he first place." Onua stated practically. Jo looked at the older woman, startled. It took a few moments for Jo to see Onua was serious.
"W-well yes ma'am, I-I'd love to." Jo sputtered.
"Then you start right now." Onua said, "Put lead lines on those horses and help me pack up." Jo did as she was told and silently helped Onua pack up the camp.
By the time the sun rose they were on the road. Jo sat Ferdinand silently wondering why that woman had taken her on so quickly. Jo was afraid that Onua would try to steal Ferdinand. He interrupted her thoughts by asking, What are you worrying about? "Oh, nothing." Jo said leaning forward and affectionately rubbing Ferdinand's neck. You are worrying, he insisted, tell me what it is about. "I'm not worrying!" Jo cried, exasperated. Then blushed at the odd look Onua gave her. Jo glowered at Ferdinand's withers calling herself an idiot for talking to a horse when someone was watching. You aren't stupid. Insisted the sorrel she had talked to earlier that day. "Humph!" was all Jo could say.
Onua looked at Jo out of the corner of her eye. The girl was much like Daine. She could almost feel the wild magic leaking out of her. Onua had to show Jo to Numair. "So, Jo, what are the Gallan Plains like?" Onua asked.
Jo looked at her sharply, then said, "It is a very unique region. A scholar would likely give you a much more accurate discription."
"I hear the weather is really harsh." Onua said
"The air is very dry, and the wind is always blowing. The summers are hot. The winters are cold. It's harsh, but you can't keep from missing it when you leave." Embarrassed by the show of emotion, Jo blushed and picked at Ferdinand's mane. The ponies followed along meekly. If one of them started to fuss, a dirty look from Jo was all it took to make them get back in line.
At noon Onua broke the silence that had stretched across the morning by saying, "We'd better stop and eat lunch." Jo looked at her like she was crazy. What is this woman talking about? Jo thought. What was that thing called lunch.
"Why are we stopping?" Jo said.
"For a bite to eat, aren't you hungry?" Onua replied.
"But why stop in the middle of the day." Jo insisted.
"For lunch." Onua said, confused at Jo's own confusion, "Don't Gallan plainsmen have a meal at midday?"
"No." Jo murmured ashamedly, looking at Ferdinand's withers, why couldn't she just hold her tongue. Now she'd made Onua angry for sure.
"Hey, I'm not going to bite." Onua said cheerily, giving Jo a playful punch in the shoulder. Jo looked up and gave her a tiny hint of a smile. Spurred on by the small smile Onua continued, "Did you face really move, or was it the wind, I could have sworn it was frozen in place." Onua said with a grin. This time Jo rewarded Onua with a full smile. When Jo smiled the ponies seemed to pick up their feet and raise their heads. The sun shined brighter and even the trees looked happier. Wow, Onua thought, That's almost eerie. A troublesome bay pony pinned its ears at a passing horse. Jo barked at it and the magic ended. The ponies resumed their usual disposition and everything went back to the normal choking silence that had enveloped them earlier.
"Here we are." Onua said, trying to break the awkward silence that had ensued over the past ten minutes as she looked for a campsite. Jo dismounted and set up the picket lines on which to tie the horses. Onua reached into her packs and drew out a loaf of bread and some jerked venison. Drawing her knife out of its sheath, Onua cut the loaf of bread in half and offered it Jo.
"Yes, please, I'm hungry." Jo said politely. Jo scarfed down her meal in record timing while still managing to use perfect table manners. When she finished, Jo approached Jenny's packs and to Onua's surprise brought out an ancient looking book.
"What's that?" Onua said, curiously bending her head to see the title of the book. "The Basics of Dressage. Wow, what's dressage."
"Dressage is a little like dancing, only for horses." Jo said, looking at Onua curiously.
"Like dancing?" Onua asked eagerly, "Can you do it?"
"A little." Jo said, looking down at her feet.
"Could you show me a few moves once we get on the road?"
"I suppose." Jo murmured. Onua settled down to eat her lunch as Jo looked over the ponies. Onua looked at her as she ran her hands over each horse talking softly to them, sternly to some, and sweetly to others.
After Onua finished her lunch she said, "Now about that, uh, what's it called again? Something- awj?"
"Dressage." Jo supplied.
"Now about that dressage, can I see some?"
"I suppose." Jo said quietly as she mounted Ferdinand.
First she walked, trotted, and cantered around the small clearing, stretching Ferdinand's legs. After cantering both directions she slowed Ferdinand to a trot. Sitting instead of posting, she closed her eyes and focused on Ferdinand until all she felt was Ferdinand. When Jo opened her eyes again she could feel her/Ferdinand's legs beating a simple posting trot. She brought in her nose and rounded her back, drawing her hind feet further forward under her stomach. She then extended her front feet.
Onua watched in awe as Jo and Ferdinand practically floated over the ground in an extended trot. For the next fifteen minutes Jo executed a series of complicated moves that would have mesmerized anybody, whether they liked horses or not.
She ended her display with a sliding stop (she had thought up that move). Coming back to herself was disappointing. She almost wished she could have been Ferdinand/Jo forever. Onua was looking at her with wide eyes. "Wow, how did you get him to do all of that?" Onua asked, "Is it hard?"
"No," Jo said, turning a beet red and focusing on Ferdinand's withers, she added, "You really just do what the book says I guess."
Onua barraged Jo with questions about dressage until Jo finally gave Onua her book and told her to read it for herself. Onua raised her eyebrows, "Did I just hear Josana Falconsri get irritated by me?" Onua said giving Jo a pat on the back and a grin to know she was joking.
"Well, if you saw a forty year old woman asking questions like a school girl, I'm sure you would be a little flustered too." Jo shot back, feeling a hint of irritation worm its way into her usually calm voice. Onua just grinned and continued riding.
The ponies were fussing and arguing. It took all of Onua and Jo's strength to calm them. After ten minutes of riding, the ponies seemed to relax. Jo had assumed her usual neutral look that gave away no feelings, but the air had a pleasant feel to it.
They continued to travel at an easy pace, Jo, who had long forgotten to be wary of talking to horses in front of Onua, was in a in a deep argument with a dun gelding about the ethics of taming wild horses. The afternoon wore on and more horses joined the argument until Jo finally shouted, giving the dun an angry look, "Okay, you win, I give up, satisfied."
She looked at the sun. It was low in the sky. Onua caught her looking at the sun and said, "There's a camp half of a mile up."
Jo nodded and said, "Oh."
When they got to the camp Jo got out her bow and quiver and trotted down a thin game trail winding through the woods. Jo crept through the forest on cat feet, not making a single sound. Then, she found a few small tracks. Rabbit judging from the pattern of its footfalls, she thought. Jo followed the tracks to a rabbit den. All of a sudden a rabbit sprang up from seemingly nowhere, followed by another. Jo shot the first one smoothly in the windpipe. She then swiftly drew another arrow from her quiver and shot the second one in the stomach, drawing her dagger, Jo strode up to the rabbit and ended its life.
She grabbed her kills by their ears and marched back to camp. The first rabbit she had shot would make a nice skin. She could use it to line her winter clothes.
`
When Jo arrived back at camp, Onua, busy digging the latrine, just nodded to acknowledge her presence then went back to digging. Jo skinned and gutted each animal with deft movements of her knife. When Jo was done, she found several dead tree branches, two with forked ends. Jo whittled the ends of them and poked them into the ground. She speared the rabbit carcasses and hung them on the two forked sticks above the fire pit to cook. Jo cleaned the skin of the first rabbit and pegged it out to dry with the remaining sticks. Now that I have the spit set I have to start the fire, she thought. Jo picked up her steel, flint and tinder and began the difficult process of coaxing a flame out of the kindling. Jo was very skilled at this (she had started many fires before today). Soon a small flame began to tremblingly creep its way upward. She started blowing, and begging and in a matter of minutes the flame ate up its kindling. Jo fed larger and larger branches into the greedy fire. When the flame was large enough she stood back and tried to see where else that she could be of use. The ponies probably need a going over, she thought. She went over to her packs and grabbed a mane comb, curry, hoofpick, and hard bristled brush. Jo went over the horses, giving them not a thorough grooming but enough of one as not to shame herself and Onua.
All of a sudden Onua showed up. Judging from her wet hair and pink face, Jo assumed that she had been washing. "Is there a place to wash?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, there is, go about a half of a furlong (1/16 of a mile) east and you'll find a stream." Onua replied.
"Well, I'll go wash." Jo said calmly, going to her packs and retrieving a rough, loosely woven brown shirt and a pair of breeches.
When Jo returned from washing, she found Onua had supper ready. She was hungry. Using all of the table manners that old Avril taught her. Avril had once worked in the Scanran court until he supported the wrong king and had to flee to the Gallan plains in order to save his life. Jo daintily gobbled down her food. His stiff manners had stuck and he had spent much time with her when she was an infant, the result was that Jo could speak fluent Scanran and had perfect table manners.
After dinner, Jo pulled out her dagger and whittled while Onua reminisced about the immortals war and how she and one of her friends discovered the greatest wildmage in the world. Jo did not have the foggiest idea what a wildmage was and even though she itching to find out Jo kept her mouth shut-she didn't want to look more idiotic than she already did. "You are pretty good with animals." Onua said bringing the story of Numair Salmalin's victory against a famous Scanran mage to an abrupt close.
Jo shrugged, "You have to be good out there."
"Maybe you are a wildmage yourself." Onua ventured.
"There is nothing magical about me." Jo stated calmly, "I am glad that don't have a Gift. It saves me from all of that university fiddle-faddle." And with that Jo returned to her whittling that was starting to look more and more like a horse with every moment that passed. Onua returned to her stories and began talking about how the queen had arrived in Corus. It was late when Onua finally realized it was time to turn in. She gathered her supplies and began to ward the camp. Jo pulled out her bedroll and laid it out on the ground. Jo leaned back and stared at the stars, blinking back tears. During the day she didn't have to remember but at night her memory tore her apart. Jo rolled over on her stomach hoping that Onua wouldn't see the tears on Jo's cheeks. She could still see herself killing Cyril. The sick crunch of the knife as it entered his body, the body of the man that had taught her how to hunt. How could she be so cold as to kill the man that taught her how to hunt? It was either his life or yours said a voice in the back of her mind.
Jo tormented herself for an hour with such thoughts. Gradually, the tears dried and she became aware of the problem of getting to sleep with the red fire of Onua's Gift shining every where. She tossed and turned but no matter what direction she faced it was there to torment her. Finally Jo lay her head in the crook of her arm and shut her eyes as tight as they would go, but to no avail; the lights had just as strong a presence in her mind as it did in her vision. Giving up on sleep Jo sat up and pulled her awl a deer hide she brought with her out of her packs, and dedicated herself to the task of making her winter clothes by the light of Onua's ward.