Riding Lessons, attn: Bella

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Liaran burst into the stables and hurried towards the area where Seawind was kept, politely refusing offers from the grooms to saddle the mare and bring her out. At the beginning of her lessons, she'd had no choice but to let them, but by now, Liaran thought she could manage by herself, and that was what she intended to do. She ran through the list of tasks that she needed to complete as she entered Seawind's stall, smiling up at the mare. That list was not short, and though she worried that she was going to forget something, Liaran did her best to ignore that fear and focus on the horse while she prepared for the lesson ahead of them. She worked slowly, constantly having to remind herself what came next, and when she finally finished, Liaran studied the horse while going over the list again. Satisfied that she hadn't missed anything, the Aes Sedai saddled Seawind and led her out, feeling rather proud of herself.

Her good mood remained as she mounted the horse and rode to the remote part of the Tower's yards where she and Seawind would be joining Haeden. Liaran kept the horse walking, still not comfortable with riding at any faster speed, but even that was progress for her. She hadn't even fallen from the saddle recently, and that small accomplishment pleased her. When she reached the area she was looking for, near the edge of the Tower's grounds, Liaran brought Seawind to a stop, but remained in the saddle while she waited for Haeden to join her.

[Bella]

Haeden was not far behind his Aes Sedai, following the sense of her and the bond to the point where she had ridden to and then stopped to wait for him. Even if he couldn't feel the expectancy and anticipation over the bond, he would have known that she was waiting for him and not something else just from having come to know her.

Steering Aldazar, his large gelding, up alongside her mare, he smiled down at them both. Seawind was a steady creature and barely even registered his presence, let alone reacted to it. And that had been one of the prominent traits he'd chosen her for.

"It looks like a nice day for some riding, my Aes Sedai," he said. The way he said it made it pretty clear that there was far more warmth than formality in the way he used her title. He used it out of affection as much as duty, because from him to her, even his duty was his affection.

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Liaran felt Haeden approaching and turned in the saddle to greet him just as he appeared beside her. Pulling gently on the reins, she encouraged Seawind to turn the same way, though her horse was obedient and hardly needed the direction. Liaran looked up, smiling at her Warder, who was much taller on his horse than she was on hers. She nodded in agreement with his statement before asking, "Do you have any plans for our ride?" She felt confident today that she could handle whatever Haeden had in mind...just as long as she wasn't expected to move very fast. Liaran did not really think that would be a problem, as she trusted that Haeden wouldn't ask more of her than she could do.

While she waited to learn what Haeden's plans were, Liaran moved herself and the horse again, a slight motion that left Seawind standing beside Haeden's mount, though not too close. She reached down, checking again to see if Seawind's saddle was tight enough, then sat up straight, as ready as she could be for the difficult task that riding still was for her.

[Bella]

Although he'd known his Aes Sedai had not been particularly...enthused by the idea of more time with horses, her Gaidin had been pleased when she accepted, both his offer and the horse. She and Seawind seemed to get along well, and the small mare was as well behaved and cooperative as he had expected her to be.

"I thought we would take a ride through the forest," he said, waving a hand toward the trees that surrounded one part of Hama Valon. "I know there are plenty of trails for an easy ride, but it should be quiet and peaceful." The sun was out in the sky, the air was cool but not chill, and the breeze was light.

He offered Alianora a warm smile. "It will be good to keep Seawind acclimated to riding both on roads and on paths that are less worn down, so there is little to surprise her. And the more comfortable she is, the more she'll help you feel at ease."

OOC: I have no idea how those days raced away from me. I would've sworn it had only been a couple of days and not a week since you posted this? :-O

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Liaran had thought she was ready to ride today, but the idea of taking Seawind down one of those trails through the woods made her feel a little nervous. It wasn't something she'd done before, and if she was being entirely honest, Liaran didn't understand why anyone would want to when there were plenty of perfectly good roads around Hama Valon. Considering the idea, she looked towards the trees her Warder had indicated. It was difficult for Liaran to imagine that it would be easy to ride a horse through there, but as she thought about it, she could admit that Haeden's reasoning made sense. That realization, combined with the absolute trust she had in her Warder, brought Liaran to turn her head back towards him with a small nod of agreement.

She even managed a thin smile as she said,"All right, that sounds fine." She knew that smile wouldn't keep Haeden from sensing how uncomfortable she felt, but Liaran did her best to pretend that she was not. It will be fine, she told herself. She took a deep breath, and once Haeden rode off towards the woods, Liaran and Seawind followed behind him.

[Bella]

Haeden set the pace slow and easy, allowing Seawind and Liaran to be comfortable and well in step with him and his steed. Aldazar seemed to want to move a little quicker, here and there, but the Gaidin easily kept the well-trained horse in line.

The path he brought them to was wide enough for the horses to walk side by side through the trees, worn down enough for them to know it was there and relatively even so the horses had no trouble with the pace and keeping the ride smooth. He knew that Liaran wasn't ready for something that might make the ride too bumpy or the horse stumble, so he hadn't brought them near the chance of it.

"We can head back at any time," he said to her with a warm smile. "If you grow uncomfortable with the path and the trail."

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

When Haeden had first mentioned taking a path through the forest, Liaran couldn't help imagining a barely used trail full of rocks and tree roots that Seawind could easily stumble upon. She knew Haeden would never subject her or Seawind to anything like that, but having never ridden through the woods before, Liaran had no idea what it might actually be like. Once she approached the beginning of the trail and saw how wide it was, the packed down dirt nothing like she'd pictured, Liaran felt much less nervous about trying to ride on it. She kept Seawind at a slow walk still, but had no trouble catching up to Haeden and his horse.

He stayed right beside her, as Liaran had known he would, and as they walked slowly through the woods, Liaran decided that the slow pace made it easier than she'd thought it would be. With the sunlight shining down through the trees around them, picking out spots of light on the path ahead, it was even pretty in its way. She couldn't look around her much, however, since riding still required most of her attention, and kept her eyes on the road until Haeden said something to her.

She turned her head towards him, trusting her horse to keep them both moving forward. With a small smile for Haeden, Liaran said, "I've never ridden anywhere like this before, but it isn't as hard as I expected it to be." Unfortunately for Liaran, attempting to look anywhere else besides where she was riding continued to be difficult for her. As she spoke, she felt herself sliding sideways in the saddle, and brought Seawind to a stop to reposition herself before she could fall. Once she was back in the saddle, her eyes once more ahead of her, Liaran continued, "Even if it were....I won't ever improve unless I keep working on it. I trust you not to keep me riding for longer than I can handle." It was still hard for her to let someone else, even her Warder, make any sort of decision for her, but Liaran managed it now, aware that Haeden knew far more about horses and riding than she likely ever would.

[Bella]

Her trust in him was perhaps the greatest reward of his life.

When she had paused to situate herself and regain her balance, he'd been ready to catch her before she fell. It was what a warder did, after all, and more so, what some who cared deeply for her did. Being out here for this placid ride pleased him on so many levels, but he was always watchful of how she was doing.

"We won't be out for too long," he assured her with a warm smile. "You're getting better every time we ride. I don't fool myself that you'll suddenly turn into a horse person, but I imagine you'll at least feel a little more comfortable in the saddle. Then sometime, you can help me learn how to keep from falling off a ship." His green eyes glittered with humor, though they'd spoken of it before.

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

While Liaran knew her riding had improved since they'd started riding together, the Aes Sedai had a hard time believing she'd ever feel entirely at ease in the saddle. At most, she hoped to become able to tolerate it better, and to be able to walk normally after a ride. With Haeden helping her, she thought she at least had a chance at achieving those goals. The further they went along the trail, the more Liaran was able to relax, though she didn't dare try looking at Haeden again when she answered him.

"I like the horse just fine," she reminded him. "Seawind is a good horse, and sometimes I think she deserves a better rider than me. It's the riding that's the problem." Liaran shrugged, knowing she could do nothing about that except work at improving what limited ability she had. She shifted in the saddle, and after that, Liaran was quiet for a while. It was hard for her to both keep up a conversation and pay attention to her riding, and she hoped that Haeden understood that. Her eyes stayed straight ahead of her, and her hands clung tightly to the reins. As they continued at her slow pace, Liaran decided she rather liked the change of scenery the trail offered that was much different from the roads. She admired the green of the trees surrounding them, and listened to what she could hear of the birds singing.

"I've never spent much time in the woods," she commented quietly to Haeden. She smiled, even though she couldn't manage to look his way. "I never thought it would be so pretty out here."

[Bella]

"It is beautiful. Every season has its own charm," Haeden replied easily and warmly. "Having been born to the Tower, I spent all my youth in these woods. I love them as much now as I did then." He could not see her smile, but the bond told him of it, and it made him smile in turn. "I hope that we can spend more time out here, so I can show you the beauty in each turn of season."

They rode for a few moments long before he said, "There is a clearing coming up soon with some large rocks, good for sitting. Would you like to take a break there and dismount for a while? The horses can graze a little, get some water at the creek nearby."