Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!chnews!ornews.intel.com!ibeam!hutch From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Subject: [LH][MG] Playing Horsie Message-ID: Organization: Intel Corp., Hillsboro, Oregon Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1993 02:09:13 GMT Lines: 280 [ADMIN] This takes place about two days before Lancos wakes up. "'Raf, are you sure you want me to do this?" "Sure. I'll help if you need it. Promise." "Awright but I feel really stupid. I know ya told me what ta do, but I still dunno how me playin' horse is gonna help da Little Rat." 'Raf shook his head. "Just come on, Clyde. She'll trust you. Besides, I'll be there in the garden with 'Raelf. In case you need help." "Oh all right." Little Rat was sitting in the garden, sorting the potatoes from the kitchen's truck plot into big and little. She looked up briefly when 'Raf and Clyde came out into the garden. "Hey, Little Rat." Clyde walked over towards the young girl. Her eyes grew large momentarily, but then she frowned and put on a neutral face like the street kids always wore when they dealt with kids from other neighborhoods. "Hey. You is dat half-horse guy what useta work for da papers, aincha?" she said pretending not to care. "Yah. 'Cept I still work for Ol Man Heartwell, he's havin' me write about how I get use ta bein' turned inta a centaur. So 'Raf's been helpin' me ta learn how ta read an' write, an' how ta put a story t'gether." "Huh. So what'cha want?" She glanced around, making sure there was someone else here, and verifying her escape routes. Clyde politely pretended not to notice, carefully putting his blanket-roll down and folding his legs into a sitting position so he was at something closer to her height. "You 'member 'Raf says you an Kev hasta learn how ta ride a horse if ya wants ta be in da Lighthouse gang, right?" "Yah, so? You ain't 'xactly a horse." "No, but I'll be good fer teachin', I'm payin' 'Raf back for what he done ta me." "Huh. Okay. You wanna do it now?" She glanced towards 'Raf, who nodded to her then returned to his conversation with 'Raelf. "Sure. Lemme help wit' da spuds an' we can start while da sun is still up." "Okay. Dis is almos' done anyway. Da big ones goes inta da bag, and da small ones goes inta da bowl for dinner." "Uh huh. So howcome dey's let a scrawny kid like you inta da gang here?" Clyde began sorting tubers. "Scrawny? Hey, 'least I don't look like somethin' stuck tagether by Creepy Charlie." Clyde looked up sharply. He saw the expression of resentment on the Rat's face and his own expression softened. "I didn't mean nothin' bad by dat," he said, gently. "It's just dat you is da youngest one here 'cept Kev. Dey only let him in 'cause he's 'Raelf's brother or sumthin'." The Rat digested this information thoughtfully. "I think dey let me in 'causa Mister Lancos ast' em, 'cause da Gutt Man was tryin' ta get me bad. He wants ta dance wif my gutts on his head." "Huh. Well, he better not come up here, dey'll turn 'im inta a newt." "What's a newt?" Little Rat made a face at the name. "It's a kind a lizard like a t-croc only it's da size a my little finger, an' it has dis really grody slimy skin like one a dem purple things dat grows under da dead leafs piles." "Eww ... Can ya eat 'em?" "Naah, dey'd give ya da runs." "Dat sounds like da Gutt Man. Always made _me_ wanna run." She made a sound halfway between a snort and a giggle. Clyde laughed, tossing the last two tubers into the "small" basket. "Harf! Okay, dis is done, let's start showin' ya how ta ride." Little Rat looked at the young centaur dubiously. "Is you any good at dis, Clyde?" "I dunno. 'Raf showed me how ta do some of it from da horse's pointa view. Here, lemme put dis blanket on." Clyde picked up the colorful rolled wool horse-blanket from where he'd placed it on the ground, and without getting up, turned around and spread it out on his back. "Wow, you kin sure twist aroun' good." "Yeah, centaurs is real flexible in dis joint. Our gutts is mostly all in da horse part, 'Raf sez, so dis whole belly part is muscles. Here, c'mere an' climb on." Little Rat looked dubious, but she tried it. "Dat's good. Here, ya can sit back dere but if I was a jumpin' horse ya might fall offa me. Move up forwards ta th' middle of my barrel." "Okay. What's a barrel?" "Da horse part, between da shoulder an' da belly, yah, WHA! don' dig in yer heels, it tickles!" Clyde lurched as Rat moved forward. "Hehaa! Dis is fun!" She giggled again. "Yah, well, don' do it to a regular horse, dey'll buck ya off. Da spot dere behin' o' da belly really tickles." "Okay. I won't do it to a reg'lar horse." Clyde was looking forward and didn't notice the wicked expression come across her face. "HEEYAA!" He shouted and bolted to his feet, Rat holding onto his human waist and yelling. "Whee!" "Rat! I ast' ya not ta do that!" "Okay, I won't any more. But you jumped up!" "You damn right. I coulda kicked ya by mistake, Rat, don' do dat!" "Okay. But now we's even for you sayin' I was scrawny." "Yeah, we are. Now sit back in the right spot." Little Rat moved back, carefully. She kept her hands placed on Clyde's horse-shoulders in front of her. It was pretty far up, but after a few seconds she nodded to Clyde. "Can we ride now?" She started to plant her feet again, but remembered in time and stopped. "Just a second. On a real horse ya got reins, so 'Raf made me dis harness dat ya can hold onta. So hold on a second." He bent at the human waist again, reaching to the ground and picking up a leather harness. He pulled it on. It crossed his chest from shoulder to abdomen in an X shape in front, fastening in the center, but in back it was an "H" shape with two leather bands connecting. Leather thongs ran from there almost to the ground. Clyde handed them to the Rat. "Dese are reins. Hang on ta dem, or if ya gonna fall, hang onta da harness where it connects." "Okay." Little Rat took the reins in her hands cautiously, not sure what to do with them. She pulled them too tight. "Loosen up a little, Rat. Da reins goes inta da horses mouth, an' if ya pulls too hard it hurts. Dat's better. Just enough ta signal dat ya wants me ta go left or right. Pull both of 'em if ya want me ta stop movin, okay?" "Okay... oof! Wait, don' move yet, I gonna fall." "Nah, I'll catch ya. Jus' don' hold too hard on da reins, use da grip wit' yer legs ta balance." "Like dis?" Little Rat squeezed her knees together, and became much more stable on the centaur's back. "Yeah." Clyde looked at her. "Dat's still too far forward. Ya got ta be dere more in da middle, makes it easier ta balance ya." Little Rat shifted backwards a little. "Like dis?" At Clyde's nod, she got into a half-standing position, holding the riding blanket with her toes. "Can we move aroun' now?" "If ya promise not ta bounce too hard. Ya gots ta try an' balance, keep yer legs bent in da middle, yah, not dat far, s'good right like dat. If I had a saddle it'd letcha keep yer butt dere wit' less work." "Okay. Wow, dis makes my legs burn." "Here, let's walk aroun' a bit." Clyde started moving, slowly, and Rat felt her legs flex with each step, lessening the cramped feeling. "Oh! dat feels a little better!" "Yah. Here we go, slow trot." Clyde started moving faster, following the curve of the lighthouse wall along its inner face. He looked back, making sure the Rat wasn't bothered by the speed. She had a big grin on her face and when he looked forward again, she slapped his left horse-shoulder with the reins and shouted. "Whee! Go faster!" "If ya want. Dis is what 'Raf tol' me is a `canter' ..." Clyde changed the rhythm that his feet were moving, and then began to move faster, and Little Rat started to slip down on his back. "Uh oh, slow down a bit!" "Okay. Is you all right?" Clyde returned to a walk, then stopped when he saw that the Rat was trying to shift forward.. "I slipped." "I saw. Here, 'Raf said dis blanket had a special... dere. Pockets. Put yer foots in dere, both at da same time. Now, you balanced? Here, hang on ta my arm. Good. Now, all ready?" Clyde waited for a second while the Rat checked her balance in the makeshift saddle. "Feels better," she observed. "Dese pockets are kinda like stirrups on a saddle. Ya can hold on more easy wit' yer feet." "Giddyup, Clyde," Rat giggled. He grinned and started walking, then trotting. When she slapped him again with the reins, he shrugged and sped to a canter, "Awrite, here goes... " Little Rat grinned widely, "Wow, dis is cool. You is fast!" "I can go lots faster, but 'Raf said not to gallop inside a da walls." The Rat watched the ground going by too fast, and pulled sharply on both of the reins. "Whoah," Clyde pulled up sharply. "I wanna stop now, I's gettin' dizzy." "All right," Clyde said. "You want a hand down?" "Nah. I be fine," Rat slid down off his side, and steadied herself on the ground. She walked over to the baskets of sorted tubers and picked up the basket of smaller ones. Clyde followed, picking up the other basket. In the garden, 'Raf punched 'Raelf on the arm. "Told ya so. He did it and she didn't freak." "Uh huh, so I have to do dishes tonight, fine." 'Raelf rubbed his arm absently. "Well, what did you think?" "Of the Rat or Clyde?" 'Raf growled. "Of the horse blanket, dummy!" "Oh that. Nice trick. I hope you told Clyde what it was." 'Raelf picked up a weed and it vanished in a flicker of colors. "Not in so many words. I said it had a spell woven in to help the Rat learn to ride better. I just didn't tell him he was the focus. Besides, he's my student, he knows I use magic to teach him sometimes." If fur could blush 'Raf would have been red-faced. 'Raelf quirked an eyebrow, and shrugged. "No harm done. I still think you should have done it yourself." He reached out affectionately and scratched 'Raf behind the ear. 'Raf pushed against the hand with his head for a second, purring, and then pulled away and looked into 'Raelf's face, seriously. "Hey, he's a Low Town kid too. Some of that was for him. Besides, now he knows how to carry a rider if he wants to." 'Raelf nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Oh well. You win so you get to cook tonight. Please don't shed in the food." 'Raf growled but 'Raelf was already fading into the wind and he didn't feel like chasing him, so he prowled inside instead, and started making dinner.