Hunter's Academy (Veller) (17 page)

“You told me to choose a mount sir. He was suitable last week.”

“The circumstances then were different.” Master Pike replied as he grabbed one of the ropes that were still tied around Grim’s neck. “He is going back to the stables.”

Grim suddenly whipped his head around, pulling the rope and the Horse Master with it. Master Pike was yanked from his feet and tossed unceremoniously onto the ground. This wasn't helping Kile's position.

“This ill mannered, flea bitten, beast of burden…”
he cursed as he got to his feet. “This… this THING will never be a Hunter’s mount.”

“On the contrary, I don’t see a problem with it.”

“Nobody cares what you think.” Master Pike remarked as he turned around to see a tall dark haired man with a well trimmed mustache standing behind him. “Guild Master Latherby, I... I’m sorry, I… I didn’t know it was you.”

“That’s hardly an excuse is
it?” Mathew Latherby replied as he walked past Pike to where Grim was now standing. He slowly untied the ropes and let them fall to the paddock floor. “It would appear that your mount has been chosen for you.” He said to Kile.

“It would appear that way sir.” She replied.

“Do you accept him?”

“Master
Latherby, you can’t be serious.” Master Pike protested.

“There is truth in that, I can never be serious,
it’s so boring.” Latherby replied as he winked at Kile. “But it would appear that this is out of my hands. He has chosen her as his rider, who are we to deny that.”

“It is not the way things are done… it’s… it’s not even a proper horses.” Pike exclaimed.

“As a matter of interested Horse Master, there was a time when the hunters thought about uses Mountain Ponies as their official mounts.”

“Really sir?” Kile asked, she had never read anything like that in the history books.

“Oh yes.” Master Lathery replied. “They are wonderful animals. They can travel great distances without the need for rest, food or water. They can navigate rough terrain and icy surfaces even rocky hill tops. They were well suited for the Hunter’s needs.”

“Then… why don’t any Hunters ride them?”

“Because, they are foul tempered, ill mannered and stubborn creatures.” Latherby replied with a shrug. “Nobody was able to tame one… until now it would appear.”

Kile wouldn’t have said tame, she was sure that nobody tamed Grim. She just managed to befriend him somehow.

“She still must pass the evaluation and ultimately the final exam.” Master Pike pointed out. “If she can’t control it, if she can’t pass the final exam, then she can’t become a hunter. That is written in the Hunter’s Code.”

“What do you say cadet Veller, wish to give it a try?”

“Yes sir.” Kile replied as she opened the gate to the Paddock and let Grim out, not that there was much left of the paddock after the mountain pony stepped on it. “Thank you.” She whispered to him as he passed.

“We don’t have saddles suitable for… that thing.” Pike pointed out.

“Do I need a saddle sir?” She asked the Guild Master.

He stood there for a moment,
a finger on his chin as his eyes moved back and forth as if he was actually reading the code book in his head. When he was finished he looked down at her and grinned.

“I don’t believe there is any place within the Hunter’s code that says you must have a saddle, although I can see where it would come in handy.”

“Then mount up cadet.” Master Pike sneered as he stepped back, his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for her to fail.

Kile had mounted him before, on several occasions, but she was usually thrown off soon after. Her technique was a little unorthodox, nothing that she wanted to attempted while the entire class was watching.

“How about a little help?” She whispered in Grim’s ear.

-Fine, but just this once.-

Grim said and he lowered himself to the ground. Kile grabbed a handful of mane, threw one leg over with a little difficulty and Grim slowly got back to his feet.

“Don’t see any problem there.”
Latherby remarked.

“She still has to prove she can ride him.”

“Well, then this should be very entertaining.” Latherby added.

Master Pike walked to the center of the field. “Okay everyone, mount up, mount up.” He yelled. “You will be following the course that we took during the last training session. Up thought the hills, down through the river bed and back here. Those that don’t know it, just follow the horse in front of you, and don’t get lost.”

The horses began to move off one by one, all but Grim, who refused to move.

“Grim, what are you waiting for, come on.”
She said as she tried to coax him into moving.

-Why?-

“What, what do you mean why. We have to follow the other horse before they get too far ahead. I don’t know where we’re supposed to go.”

-Here.-

“What?”

-Here… the trail ends here. Why do I have to walk all that way around the landscape just to come back here? We stay here and the rest of those stupid horses can find us.-

“It doesn’t work that way. We have to follow the trail.”

-Pointless.-

“So are a lot of things, but if we’re in this together, you have to trust me on this.”

“Is there a problem cadet Veller?” Master Pike asked as he walked up beside Grim.

“No sir, No problem.”

“You don’t appear to be moving. Is it that you can’t control this… monstrosity?” He laughed.

Monstrosity was probably the wrong word to use around Grim as the Mountain pony took his first step on the trail, driving a platter sized hoof straight down on Master Pike’s boot. There was a sickening crunch as his foot sank into the ground and the horse master screamed.

“Grim… move.” She told the horse.

Grim reluctantly lifted his hoof, and Pike pulled his foot from the mud as he hobbled off cursing. If the ground hadn’t been so soft, there was no telling how much damage Grim could have done to the horse master, as it was, he was still a massively heavy horse. Grim gave Pike a dismissive look, snorted then started off down the trail after the other, at his own pace.

“I would have thought that a Horse master would have known enough not to stand so close to an ill tempered horse.” Kile heard Lathery tell Master Pike as he helped him to his feet.

“You did that deliberately.” Kile whispered to Grim.

-Of course I did.-

Grim replied unapologetically.

-He was a condescending, annoying little fool.-

“That may be true, but he is still the instructor. You can’t keep crushing the instructor’s feet.”

-Of course not, he only has two feet, which gives me one more opportunity.-

“Look, we have to set some guidelines if this is going to work.” Kile sighed, “Rule number one, we do not crush instructors, no matter how much fun it might be.”

-Fine… suit yourself.-

It didn’t take them long before they finally reached the back of the group which was filled mostly with novice horseman who were doing everything they could to keep from falling off their mounts. Daniel, Carter, and Alex had held back, waiting for her as she and Grim moved between them.

“You can’t be serious.” Carter said as he eyed Grim. “You really plan on using that as you mount?” He asked.

“Of course, what’s wrong with him?”

“Well, he’s ugly for starters.” Carter laughed.

Kile wasn’t sure what Grim had in mind as he started to move toward Carter and Dirk. She gave the handful of mane she was clinging to a good jerk.

“Grim… no.”

-You're taking all the fun out of this.-

“Not during training.”

“You having a problem with that… thing?” Carter asked.

Grim slowly turned his head and stared at Carter from under the long locks of hair that covered his face.

“It may be beneficial to your health not to insult my horse.” Kile advised.

“Yeah… I think you might be right.”
He said as he pulled Dirk back and maneuvered him so Daniel and Miliea rode between them.

“Does an
yone know where we’re going?” She asked.

“Actually, you’re the only one that never completed the trail.” Alex replied.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She mumbled. “Maybe we should pick up the pace so we’re not last.”

“Can you ride that…” Carter glanced over at Grim who was stills staring at him. The mountain pony’s eyes had never left the cadet. “… that noble steed?”

He didn’t mean it, but Grim accepted it with a loud snort as he turned his attention back to the road.

“Only one way to find out.” Kile replied. “You ready for this Grim?”

-Why not-

Grim said and suddenly broke into a gallop. He may not have been as fast as the other horse, or look as graceful, but his movements were fluid and Kile had not trouble staying on. The others easily caught up. Carter and Alex even pulled out in front while Daniel kept in step with Kile.

Carter was defiantly the most gifted horseman of the group as he rode Dirk with ease, but then that really shouldn’t come as a surprise. The boy was cut out to be a hunter, everything he did bordered on perfection, and at times it made her jealous. Alex, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. He was not as bad as some of the cadets but he was no where near as good as Carter or even Kile for that matter as he bobbed around on top of Illusion, doing his best to hold on. The thing with Alex is that he did not fear failure, if he fell off his horse he would just laugh at himself and jump back on, assuming that he survived. That was something that she hadn’t managed to achieve, she worried too much about what others thought. As for Daniel, he fell somewhere in-between the other two, which was probably why she found it easier to talk with Daniel than the other two.

The country side was incredible as the
y raced crossed the open field toward the forest. It was the first time in her life that Kile really felt free. She cared about nothing, only the feel of the horse and the sound of his hoofs and she knew that Grim was feeling that same freedom. As they hit the forest Carter and Alex were forced to slow down to navigate the trees, but Grim never did. He was starting to catch up with them and she let him run, she trusted that he knew where he was going, and a horse would never intentionally collide with a tree, at least she didn’t think so.

As the ground got steeper and the terrain got rockier, the riders began to slow down, but mountain ponies thrived in harsher environments. What posed as a barrier to the other horse was nothing but a small obstacle to Grim as he took the hill side in leaps and bound, never loosing his footing, never hesitating once, of course Kile wasn’t as confident and did close her eyes as he basically ran up the side of the hill. When he reached the top he stopped.

-You can open your eyes now.-

She
looked out over the landscape and from her vantage point on top of the hill she could see farther than she had ever seen before. The whole world opened up before her and it was more beautiful than she had ever imagined. Past the forest, and the rivers, all the way to the mountains that loomed in the distant north, their high, snow capped peaks hidden in the clouds. The south gave way to great fields and planes, all the way to the sea, and although she couldn’t see it, she could picture it in her mind, as well as all the places she would love to visit.

“It’s beautiful.” She said as she took it all in, and it was all hers, not literally, but there was nothing stopping her from going. She could turn Grim any direction she wanted and just run. Up to the mountains or down to the sea, she was free to choose.

“What the heck was that?” Carter asked as he and Dirk finally reached the summit. “You don’t run a horse straight up the side of a hill that steep.”

“You do if he wants to.” Kile replied, never taking her eyes off the splendor of the view. Two more years she thought, then she would be out of the academy, another year on probation and she would be a certified level five hunter. She would be able to go anywhere she wanted, do anything she wanted.

“Hey, you alright?” Carter asked as he rode up beside her. “What’s the matter?”

“What do you mean?” She asked as she finally looked at him.

“It's just that… are you… crying?”

“What… no, no of course not.” She said
wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s just the sunlight.”

“Oh… okay.” Carter replied, although he did seem to believe her.

“Man that was cool.” Alex yelled as he and Illusion topped the hill. “I have never seen a horse run straight up the side of a hill like that, man you guys were almost vertical.”

“That would be an exaggeration.” Daniel added as he and Miliea arrived last. “But not much of one”

“Come on, we can’t hang around here all day.” Carter said as he turned Dirk back toward the trail.

Why not, she thought as she nudged Grim to follow. It wasn’t as if they had anything pressing to get back for. As she followed them back, she hadn’t realized how far off the trial they had gone. Grim went out of his way to find that spot and to show it to her.