Chapter three: The first day

Yallara heard a distant shout through her sleep. Then someone came and shook her awake.

" Get up. Everyone is to be down in the mess hall in fifteen minutes." A voice said in her ear. That woke her up.

She sat up and cleared her eyes. All the girls were up and getting dressed, if she didn't hurry she'd be late. Getting up from her bed she hurried to her trunk and pulled out a set of clothes that Kuri had given her yesterday.

She stripped off her nightshirt and pulled on the shirt and breeches. She grabbed her boots and pulled them on while hopping to the bathroom were she had to wait in line to clean her teeth and wash her face. She was still tying her hair back in a horsetail when she left the room, running to catch up to the others.

When she finally made it to the mess hall, almost taking a wrong turn on the way, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that people were still getting their food. She grabbed a tray and moved down the line getting bread and fruit for breakfast. When she was done she looked around to find a seat.

The only seat available was next to a dark haired boy. It was the same boy who had twisted his ankle. She set her tray down and slid into the seat.

" Hello," he greeted. " I see you got in, mind you that's the easy part."

" Yes, so I've heard," she returned politely.

" Who from?" he asked.

" My father," she said simply.

He must have noticed the tenseness in her voice because he dropped the subject. Just then Sarge stood and they gave thanks.

" You'll want to eat quickly," he warned. " Breakfast doesn't last very long."

Sure enough five minutes after that Sarge stood up again.

" I'm sure word has spread by now that Onua the Horsemistress has returned and we're all ready to get down to work," Sarge's voice boomed out easily over the crowd. " When you've put your trays up report to the pony yard. There you'll pick your mounts who'll be your closest partners, along with your rider group, for the next several years. Dismissed."

Everyone scrambled to get up and put their trays away. Yallara stuffed the last of her roll into her mouth and got up along with the dark haired boy. She handed her tray in to the kitchen staff and ran out to the yard.

She saw all the beautiful ponies milling around the yard. One in particular caught her eye, it was a rich brown bay, although Yallara didn't know that was what it was called, she had very little experience with ponies or horses. The head and forelegs of the pony were behind a tree so it didn't know Yallara was looking at it.

She glanced around and saw that the other trainees were approaching some of the other ponies cautiously and that Onua, Sarge, Kuri, and Thayet were sitting on the fence watching with amused looks on their faces.

Taking courage from what she saw, Yallara approached the beautiful pony.

" Here, boy, c'mere. Would you like an apple? You're the most beautiful pony I've ever seen."

Suddenly the pony backed up until Yallara could see the whole thing. Her jaw dropped as she gazed at the most strange and wonderful thing she had ever seen.

Where its neck should have been the hair blended smoothly into human flesh.

" While I'm glad you think I'm pretty, I would like to point out a few mistakes," the centaur said. " First of all, do I look like a boy to you? And I'd thank you to note that I'm not a pony nor part pony, that's an insult to my kind. If you have to say anything then I'm part horse. And, no, I do not want an apple." The centaur stalked off indignantly.

" Oops." Was all Yallara could say.

After a moment she heard laughter and turned around to find a boy nearly doubled up.

" I doubt you would have done better,' she accused.

" At least I would've known that she was a girl," he said before bursting into laughter again.

Yallara scowled at him and felt a hand on her shoulder.

" Maybe I should've warned you," Kuri commented apologetically though the look on her face was not apologetic at all. " Kala is very sensitive about things like that. I'd say she'll be mad at you for three weeks."

" Is she that mad?" Yallara asked surprised.

" Looks like it. Now don't forget you're here to pick your mounts. Why don't you try that one over there. If you need help ask the Horsemistress or Kala."

" Would Kala still help me even though she's mad at me?" Yallara wondered out loud.

" Of course. Kala knows her duty and does it despite personal feelings. That's something we're going to try and drill into you trainees."

Kuri left Yallara to ponder this and to pick out her ponies. She ended up with a gray mare whose color reminded her of a stormy sky and a roan gelding who was kind of fidgety but seemed to like her well enough.

Even though Yallara knew that Kala was mad at her, she felt more comfortable going to Kala for pony inspection than to Onua the Horsemistress. Yallara supposed this was because Onua was a grown-up and Kala seemed to be about her age. Not only that but in spite of herself Yallara was curious about the centaur.

" Well, the roan is a fidgety fellow," Kala stated. " If you're just beginning riding you might consider a pony more like her." She gestured to the mare. " Although it's not required. He has taken to you, it probably wouldn't be to hard to get him to listen to you. There both in good condition and are a good size for you."

Yallara nodded. " That's what first attracted me to them." She though for a moment, " I'll keep them both."

" Very good. Go ahead and take them to the stables. You'll need to brush them out and feed them," Kala ordered.

Yallara led both ponies to the stables and found two empty stalls next to each other to house her ponies.

She found a brush hanging in the doorway. Having never brushed a pony before she wasn't really sure how to do it. But she tried to pay attention to which way the hair was laying and brush it that way. Once she had done the gray she moved on to the roan but he wouldn't stand still for her despite all her best efforts. Suddenly she remembered what Kala had said. They had to feed their ponies as well.

Finding the feed bag by the stable entrance she got two big scoops and put them in the horse troughs also putting some hay nearby. Once he could eat the roan stood still, munching down his food.

" What should I name you two?" Yallara asked the ponies. " It should be something that reflects your personality and your looks." She looked over at the mare. " The name Storm reflects your coat very well but it doesn't go with your nature. Especially after what I've heard about you mountain ponies." The roan shook his head and snorted as if in agreement. " Maybe Misty." The mare went on eating.

" I'll take that as a sign that you're not opposed to it. Now what about you?" she turned her thoughts to the roan. " Your nature is busy, chaotic, playful, and unpredictable. Your coat also shows chaos and unpredictable tendencies. Maybe something with wind in it or Sunray, no, Sunfire."

The pony nickered.

" Is that a yes or a no?" Yallara asked. " If it's a no then stand still."

He kept moving around and nickering.

" All right, Sunfire it is."

She finished brushing him, patted both of them on the nose and left for lunch.

This time she wasn't one of the last ones to the mess hall and had her pick of seats. She picked one where no one else was sitting. Soon others came to join her. A girl named Naomi, and the boy who had laughed at her that morning, she found out his name was Justin. The boy that had twisted his ankle also hobbled over to their table, he seemed to know both Naomi and Justin very well.

" I don't believe I introduced myself earlier," he said holding out his hand to Yallara. " I'm Kirem."

She artfully ignored his hand, it wasn't proper for a lady to shake a mans hand, but she answered cheerfully enough to dispel any thoughts he might have had on why she didn't take his offered hand. " My name is Yallara Cordel."

The others stopped eating to stare at her.

" You mean like Capt. Cordel?" Kirem whispered in awe.

" Yes," she replied and didn't stop eating, if she did she might lose her appetite again.

They waited for her to say more but when she just continued eating Kirem finally sat down and fixed his eyes on his food.

" Everyone heard about what happened. I'm sorry," he said and the others murmured agreement. She nodded her head in recognition and silence ensued at their table for a few minutes.

" You know, we've been having lovely weather lately," Naomi announced into the silence.

" Yeah, and I heard it's raining up north," Justin added.

" Soon that storm will move down here though and we'll be training through downpours to enhance are riderly skills," Kirem's matter-of-fact statement made everyone laugh and everything was forgotten.

" I don't think 'riderly' is a real word," Naomi told him.

" It is now," he laughed.

After lunch they went to the stables and learned how to saddle their mounts and then out to the training yard to learn how to ride them. Apparently Kala was sitting in for the Assistant Horsemistress who was running an errand for the King, that's what Kirem said at least before being yelled at to keep moving. Later on Yallara was further surprised to find out that Kala was actually a trainee. She just didn't have to learn how to handle a pony or how to shoot a bow, but would be joining them in their classes in the evening and on their summer trip, which was going to be down along the west coast. They didn't dare to take the trainees north because of the war with Scanra.

In the middle of the afternoon they switched ponies, brushing and feeding the first one and saddling the second one, and then went though the same thing over again. Although this time it was harder for Yallara because she was riding Sunfire. By the time they were to go in Yallara's rear end hurt and she was very tired.

As she finished brushing Misty she whispered to Justin in the next stall over, "When I heard about the Riders no one said anything about sore behinds and fidgety ponies."

He laughed and they put away their brushes and went inside for dinner. After dinner they learned about different animal tracks and meditated. Next they all went to their dormitories for baths. Yallara almost fell asleep in hers but Naomi nudged her back awake.

Laying in bed Yallara was happy with the way the day had gone. She had made friends and learned how to ride a pony to a very small extent. She had also made someone mad at her, but at least that person wasn't bent upon revenge. All in all she hoped that tomorrow would go as well.