A New Horse for Quintus Flavius Marcianus
Down went her head, up went her heels, and off came Father, landing with a paramount expulsion of air on his back. He lay there for a moment, then pulled himself weakly to his knees, gasping hollowly for breath.
"I can't... don't know what's wrong..." He gestured helplessly to Cajetan who was now standing placidly in the corner of the enclosure. After a few more breaths, he stood up stiffly, hand on the small of his back. "Silva, do you want to try her again?"
Standing beside me with his arms folded, he laughed wryly. "Not a chance, prefect."
Father nodded grimly, mouth compressed into a line. "Don't blame you." Then he raised his eyebrows in resignation and turned to me. "You're up, Flavia. Not sure what else to do."
I expected as much. Silva brought her over, Father gave me a leg up, and I settled into the saddle, taking the reins gently, and feeling her back with my seat. As I nudged her forwards, my father and his draconifer stood back quickly, identical expressions of agitation fixing onto their faces. But once again the mare behaved impeccably, yielding to the bit gracefully, stepping out smartly as I pushed her into a trot.
"I can't believe it." Father propped his hands on his hips and shook his head. After three circuits of the enclosure, I stopped her, backed her up three steps, and swung off lightly. Father stood back for a moment and then walked around her once more, running his hands thoughtfully over her hindquarters.
"Four hundred denarii," he murmured more to himself than us. "What a waste..." He stepped away, mouth a line again, and looked the horse up and down. "Even if I could ride her, there's no way she would be ready for the Nones." His arms crossed and his gaze flicked glumly over to us. "Well, let's get her untacked." He turned to go but stopped, paused, and slowly swung back around, forehead creasing into a frown. The frown deepened as his hand came up to his chin and I could his eyes shifting back and forth between me and where Silva stood a few feet away.
"You know..." he started, then paused, letting a sharp jet of air out through his nose. "You two are awfully similar." An arm was released to gesture between the two of us. Silva shot a puzzled, slightly alarmed look at me.
"Well... thank you, prefect," he said, not sure what to make of the situation. "I know I'm somewhat shorter and thinner than average but as far as... eh... breasts go..." He glanced down at his chest.
"Yes, my point exactly," said Father, now jabbing a finger at us. "Not about the breasts, of course, but the size. Yes. This might work."
"What? What might work?" Silva's look of alarm was intensifying.
"Flavia, you will ride Cajetan in the Nones. Wearing Silva's kit. You're both of a similar build and with his helmet on..." A grin began to spread itself across his face.
Down went her head, up went her heels, and off came Father, landing with a paramount expulsion of air on his back. He lay there for a moment, then pulled himself weakly to his knees, gasping hollowly for breath.
"I can't... don't know what's wrong..." He gestured helplessly to Cajetan who was now standing placidly in the corner of the enclosure. After a few more breaths, he stood up stiffly, hand on the small of his back. "Silva, do you want to try her again?"
Standing beside me with his arms folded, he laughed wryly. "Not a chance, prefect."
Father nodded grimly, mouth compressed into a line. "Don't blame you." Then he raised his eyebrows in resignation and turned to me. "You're up, Flavia. Not sure what else to do."
I expected as much. Silva brought her over, Father gave me a leg up, and I settled into the saddle, taking the reins gently, and feeling her back with my seat. As I nudged her forwards, my father and his draconifer stood back quickly, identical expressions of agitation fixing onto their faces. But once again the mare behaved impeccably, yielding to the bit gracefully, stepping out smartly as I pushed her into a trot.
"I can't believe it." Father propped his hands on his hips and shook his head. After three circuits of the enclosure, I stopped her, backed her up three steps, and swung off lightly. Father stood back for a moment and then walked around her once more, running his hands thoughtfully over her hindquarters.
"Four hundred denarii," he murmured more to himself than us. "What a waste..." He stepped away, mouth a line again, and looked the horse up and down. "Even if I could ride her, there's no way she would be ready for the Nones." His arms crossed and his gaze flicked glumly over to us. "Well, let's get her untacked." He turned to go but stopped, paused, and slowly swung back around, forehead creasing into a frown. The frown deepened as his hand came up to his chin and I could his eyes shifting back and forth between me and where Silva stood a few feet away.
"You know..." he started, then paused, letting a sharp jet of air out through his nose. "You two are awfully similar." An arm was released to gesture between the two of us. Silva shot a puzzled, slightly alarmed look at me.
"Well... thank you, prefect," he said, not sure what to make of the situation. "I know I'm somewhat shorter and thinner than average but as far as... eh... breasts go..." He glanced down at his chest.
"Yes, my point exactly," said Father, now jabbing a finger at us. "Not about the breasts, of course, but the size. Yes. This might work."
"What? What might work?" Silva's look of alarm was intensifying.
"Flavia, you will ride Cajetan in the Nones. Wearing Silva's kit. You're both of a similar build and with his helmet on..." A grin began to spread itself across his face.
Oh wonderful.... Who needs historical accuracy? Anyways, Flavia will end up riding on the Nones during the general's triumphal parade, which is what they need to get the horse ready for. For whatever reason, the horse will not tolerate Flavia's father riding her and therefore Flavia gets roped into riding her in the parade, mostly to accustom the animal to all the noise, confusion, etc. She goes 'incognito' and wears Silva's parade kit because it's got that freaky helmet that covers your entire face. And nearly gets seduced by the emperor's daughter because the daughter thinks she's Silva. HOSHITWATCHOUT. THIS MUST BE CONFUSING. Agh.
Anyways, now for the art. Finally. Just trying to get it sorted out how I want her father to look - he'll be big, buff, and battle-scared - sort of a grim, humourless person, which doesn't really come out in the excerpt above but that's a special circumstance. I saw 10000 BC last weekend (which is almost appallingly bad) and I figured he'd be like the captain of the slavers who's got the thing for the blue-eyed girl. The father's at the top there and at the bottom is yet ANOTHER testimonial that I CANNOT draw women. K, pretend it's Silva or something. Love it how all my guys are suddenly developing abnormally long faces and large noses. Thanks, Nic. Pfftt.
Anyways, now for the art. Finally. Just trying to get it sorted out how I want her father to look - he'll be big, buff, and battle-scared - sort of a grim, humourless person, which doesn't really come out in the excerpt above but that's a special circumstance. I saw 10000 BC last weekend (which is almost appallingly bad) and I figured he'd be like the captain of the slavers who's got the thing for the blue-eyed girl. The father's at the top there and at the bottom is yet ANOTHER testimonial that I CANNOT draw women. K, pretend it's Silva or something. Love it how all my guys are suddenly developing abnormally long faces and large noses. Thanks, Nic. Pfftt.
1 comment:
WEEEE ROME! BIG FEATHERY HELMETS! MUSCULAR BREASTPLATES! Yessss.
I LIKE IT. She's like a Roman Mulan. FTMFW.
I like the dad. He's all grrrr angst scarz whut.
The thing about the ladehs is that you can't draw them like Nic xD The faces are generally more short 'n round.
Like the Asian kid in Indy 2 lol
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