Chapter 7: Mornings
Cat was woken the next morning by a knock on her door. "I have to be awake now!" she moaned. "I hate mornings!"
"Runs in the family," an equally cheery voice said from the doorway. "I still hate the morning. Wake up, Cat. It's almost midday."
"It is?" she said, opening her eyes and sitting up. Sure enough, the sun streaming through her window was coming from almost directly above her.
"We figured we'd let you sleep; you had an interesting day," the voice Cat unconsciously identified as being that of her mother explained. "It was as the time was nearing midday that George decided we should see how you are."
"Tell him thanks, but he should have forgotten," Cat mumbled, getting out of bed. Alanna laughed.
"He'll understand," she said. "Truly, he will. The first week we were married, a messenger came before the sun had risen; I almost broke his nose when he woke me up." Cat laughed.
"It really does run in the family then," she said, amused. "Though I never broke anyone's nose." Alanna grinned.
"You still have most of your life ahead of you to accomplish it," she pointed out. "Speaking of which, get dressed. I have a birthday present for you." She disappeared into her room as Cat let out a yip of excitement and scrambled into brown breeches and a blue shirt. Pulling on her boots, she knocked on her mother's door.
"Ready," she said quickly. Alanna laughed.
"Nothing could ever get me out of bed in the morning, not even presents," she said ruefully. "That's one quality of your father's that you seem to have inherited. Of course, he can stay up all night, get an hour of sleep and be up with the dawn, bright and cheery." Cat shuddered.
"Is that even physically possible?" she asked as she followed Alanna down the hall. "I didn't think it was until you told me that King Jonathan -Father (I cannot get used to calling him that!)- did that."
"It's possible alright," Alanna said. "Although, I don't think it should be." Cat giggled at that. Alanna led the way down the halls, outside and to the barn where the horses of the nobles were kept.
Alanna led her straight to a stall which housed a tall, black mare that -at first glance- looked as delicate as any lady's palfrey. Closer inspection showed that she was all muscle, with no extra flesh what so ever, completely in shape. A white stripe slithered down her face, looking almost like a snake. "This is Adder," Alanna said, gesturing to the mare. "She's yours." Cat stared at the horse with love and awe.
"But I already have-" Alanna waved it aside.
"Pearl is a wonderful horse," she said. "But you're outgrowing her, both physically and in capability. Adder can do things for you that Pearl isn't capable of. She's yours Cat. Take a look at her."
Shyly, Cat stepped inside the stall, putting a timid hand under the mare's nose. Adder sniffed it delicately, then eyed Cat with one bottomless amber eye. Cat ran one hand down Adder's foreleg. The mare shifted nervously, but let her run her hands over her legs, and pick up her hooves. "She's young; you'll have some work before you two can function perfectly as a team." Cat looked up at her mother.
"I don't think it'll be that hard," she said honestly. "I think with a bit of work, we'll be as good a team as any, right girl?" She looked fondly at the mare, who bent her head and let Cat scratch under her forelock.
"She's out of Darkness' bloodline," Alanna said. "Darkness was your father's horse, back when I was a squire. Apparently, one of the mares got sold off to a Bazhir, and somehow found her way back to the city, just a few weeks ago. I bought her, and when you came, I thought you two would fit together nicely." Cat beamed at her mother.
"I think you thought right," she said, her attention fixed on the mare. "She's amazing." Alanna laughed.
"Thought you'd like her."
"Thank you so much Mother!" Alanna smiled as she watched her oldest daughter examine her new mare with wide excited eyes.
"Would you like to take her riding?" she asked. Her question was answered by the way Cat's eyes lit up. "Her tack is on the side of the stall." Cat brushed the mare off and had her tacked up and ready to go within seconds. Opening the door, she led her outside and was on in a flash. "Have fun!" Alanna called.
"Thank you so much mother!!" Cat called, as she urged Adder into a trot, then a canter. Alanna laughed watching Cat disappear.
A/N I know this is short and has next to nothing to do with the plot, but I first, wanted to get Cat a little closer to her mother and second, had to put Adder in the fic. She was created and wouldn't leave me alone until she was in the fic!
Cat was woken the next morning by a knock on her door. "I have to be awake now!" she moaned. "I hate mornings!"
"Runs in the family," an equally cheery voice said from the doorway. "I still hate the morning. Wake up, Cat. It's almost midday."
"It is?" she said, opening her eyes and sitting up. Sure enough, the sun streaming through her window was coming from almost directly above her.
"We figured we'd let you sleep; you had an interesting day," the voice Cat unconsciously identified as being that of her mother explained. "It was as the time was nearing midday that George decided we should see how you are."
"Tell him thanks, but he should have forgotten," Cat mumbled, getting out of bed. Alanna laughed.
"He'll understand," she said. "Truly, he will. The first week we were married, a messenger came before the sun had risen; I almost broke his nose when he woke me up." Cat laughed.
"It really does run in the family then," she said, amused. "Though I never broke anyone's nose." Alanna grinned.
"You still have most of your life ahead of you to accomplish it," she pointed out. "Speaking of which, get dressed. I have a birthday present for you." She disappeared into her room as Cat let out a yip of excitement and scrambled into brown breeches and a blue shirt. Pulling on her boots, she knocked on her mother's door.
"Ready," she said quickly. Alanna laughed.
"Nothing could ever get me out of bed in the morning, not even presents," she said ruefully. "That's one quality of your father's that you seem to have inherited. Of course, he can stay up all night, get an hour of sleep and be up with the dawn, bright and cheery." Cat shuddered.
"Is that even physically possible?" she asked as she followed Alanna down the hall. "I didn't think it was until you told me that King Jonathan -Father (I cannot get used to calling him that!)- did that."
"It's possible alright," Alanna said. "Although, I don't think it should be." Cat giggled at that. Alanna led the way down the halls, outside and to the barn where the horses of the nobles were kept.
Alanna led her straight to a stall which housed a tall, black mare that -at first glance- looked as delicate as any lady's palfrey. Closer inspection showed that she was all muscle, with no extra flesh what so ever, completely in shape. A white stripe slithered down her face, looking almost like a snake. "This is Adder," Alanna said, gesturing to the mare. "She's yours." Cat stared at the horse with love and awe.
"But I already have-" Alanna waved it aside.
"Pearl is a wonderful horse," she said. "But you're outgrowing her, both physically and in capability. Adder can do things for you that Pearl isn't capable of. She's yours Cat. Take a look at her."
Shyly, Cat stepped inside the stall, putting a timid hand under the mare's nose. Adder sniffed it delicately, then eyed Cat with one bottomless amber eye. Cat ran one hand down Adder's foreleg. The mare shifted nervously, but let her run her hands over her legs, and pick up her hooves. "She's young; you'll have some work before you two can function perfectly as a team." Cat looked up at her mother.
"I don't think it'll be that hard," she said honestly. "I think with a bit of work, we'll be as good a team as any, right girl?" She looked fondly at the mare, who bent her head and let Cat scratch under her forelock.
"She's out of Darkness' bloodline," Alanna said. "Darkness was your father's horse, back when I was a squire. Apparently, one of the mares got sold off to a Bazhir, and somehow found her way back to the city, just a few weeks ago. I bought her, and when you came, I thought you two would fit together nicely." Cat beamed at her mother.
"I think you thought right," she said, her attention fixed on the mare. "She's amazing." Alanna laughed.
"Thought you'd like her."
"Thank you so much Mother!" Alanna smiled as she watched her oldest daughter examine her new mare with wide excited eyes.
"Would you like to take her riding?" she asked. Her question was answered by the way Cat's eyes lit up. "Her tack is on the side of the stall." Cat brushed the mare off and had her tacked up and ready to go within seconds. Opening the door, she led her outside and was on in a flash. "Have fun!" Alanna called.
"Thank you so much mother!!" Cat called, as she urged Adder into a trot, then a canter. Alanna laughed watching Cat disappear.
A/N I know this is short and has next to nothing to do with the plot, but I first, wanted to get Cat a little closer to her mother and second, had to put Adder in the fic. She was created and wouldn't leave me alone until she was in the fic!