XAMIEN ENTERED THE KITCHEN THE next morning as I was texting Jedrik about Damien and Waleron showing up yesterday. “We’re going riding, kitten. I want to show you something.”
“Whoa, no way,” I said. I hadn’t ridden a horse since… well, since cars were invented.
He chuckled while holding out his hand. “Yes way. My horses need attention, and since I can’t fuck you anymore, we’re doing another kind of riding.”
“Ha,” I muttered, but grudgingly put my phone on the table and followed him out the kitchen door. I’d seen his horses from the kitchen window, but had never been to his stables. I knew he’d often go riding before the sun rose.
We walked down the dirt path to his stable where his two white Lipizzaner horses grazed in a paddock. Xamien whistled and the horses jerked their heads up and whinnied. “Kos. My stallion is the one on the right. The other is a gelding, Xade.”
Kos was a gorgeous stallion with a thick white mane that reached past his shoulder. He reminded me of Gandalf’s horse in The Lord of The Rings. Xade was also white, but smaller in height and frame, less intimidating.
The horses trotted over to us and Xamien opened the gate and let them out. “Umm, aren’t they going to run away?”
He chuckled. “No. Although, if there was a mare around, Kos might think differently.” He picked up a nylon rope bridle from the fence post and slid it on Xade’s head. There was no bit for in his mouth, and I wondered how on Earth I’d ever be able to stop this powerful horse with a rope.
There were saddles hung over the top rail of the fence and he threw a fleece pad on Xade’s back and then a saddle, It wasn’t a usual leather type, but lighter with a deep seat.
“A Spanish saddle,” Xamien explained. “You’ll like it.”
I still wasn’t sure I liked the idea of going riding.
Xamien finished tacking Xade up and offered his hand to help me into the saddle.
I hesitated.
“Xade is gentle. He will listen to anything I ask him.” Xamien waited patiently while I eyed the beast. The gelding lowered his head and snorted while shaking his head back and forth. His long mane danced across his neck.
“Xamien, I haven’t ridden in forever and I was never really a fan of it.”
“He’ll look after you.”
When I still hesitated, Xamien sighed, then nodded to the boy who came out of the stables. “Antonio, would you mind tacking him up for me?” The boy, who looked about fifteen, jogged over with a broad smile and quickly looped a rope around Kos’s neck and walked the horse into the barn.
“Come,” Xamien said. He released Xade and started walking away from the stable.
I frowned. “What are we doing?”
Xamien sighed. “Walk with me and stop asking questions.”
We walked down a path toward a river at the bottom of a hill, and I was shocked to see Xade come with us without a lead or anything tied to him.
“He’s following us.”
Xamien nodded “Yes. You did not believe me when I said he will do anything I ask?”
Well, no, I hadn’t. This was a horse, not a dog. I glanced over my shoulder again, at Xade who strolled behind, head low, ears half-back as if listening to us.
“I’m the same with horses as I am with people. I never lie to them. I don’t ask for what cannot be given, and I’m extremely patient. I demand respect, but first I earn it with trust.” Xamien stopped and the gelding stopped too.
There was trust and kindness in Xade’s eyes. Comfort. A horse could be forced to do as you wanted with gadgets, but it would never trust you. The gelding didn’t obey because of fear or force. He obeyed his leader because he trusted and respected him.
Like Waleron. The Scars trusted and respected him. No matter the difficult decisions he’d been forced to make, the Scars knew Waleron had made them to protect us and our oath. We followed him because we trusted and respected him. I trusted and respected him as my Taldeburu. We all did, even if sometimes we didn’t like the choices he made.
Xamien walked up to his gelding and stroked his solid, thick neck, then down his shoulder to lightly tap on it, as if he were patting him.
Xade lowered his head farther.
Xamien winked at me and I watched with amazement as Xade slowly went to his knees and then after a moment’s hesitation, sank to the ground.
He crouched beside the horse and murmured soft soothing words in Basque to him.
“Come here, Delara.” He held out his hand.
Mesmerized by the scene, I walked slowly toward them. Xamien took my hand and with his over top, he stroked Xade’s neck, over his head, muzzle, then back to his neck again.
“Ready?”
I nodded.
Xamien put his hands on my hips as I put my leg over the saddle. I expected the horse to roar to his feet and take off in a mad gallop.
Nothing happened.
Xamien tapped on the gelding’s shoulder again and he quietly stood.
I smiled, leaning forward and stroking the gelding’s mane. “Wow.”
Xamien pointed to the Xade’s flank and the horse turned on his haunches so he was facing the barn. I picked up the rope and held tight, but Xade shook his head, pulling it from my hands.
Xamien laughed. “Here.” He took up a handful of mane. “Hold this. You do not need reins with Xade. He doesn’t like it.”
Xamien brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Xade’s ears flicked forward, but he remained still. I gasped as Xamien’s stallion barreled from the barn down the path toward us his mane flying, hooves pounding on the soil.
God, he was magnificent.
The horse skidded to a stop several feet in front of Xamien, then lowered his head. Xamien approached him and greeted him, speaking softly to him.
A true bond between animal and man.
Xamien vaulted into the saddle easily. “I’ve had him and Xade for ten years. They’re half brothers, as they share the same father.” He stroked his horse’s thick neck. “Shall we?” He urged his stallion forward with a shift in his weight, and we rode down the path.