~By the Lion's Mane~ >A Narnian Fanfiction<

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

I was at the training grounds at dawn, just as Moonwise had told me. I stifled a huge yawn as I looked over my fellow female warriors-in-training. There were about twelve other females, nearly all of them centaurs. They stood with a spear in one hand and a sword in another, looking very somber and fierce. I looked from side to side, unsure of what to do, and wishing deep down that I could still be asleep. After my grueling journey, a long rest would have been appreciated. But I ignored my body's complaints and focused on the excitement I had felt at the prospect of learning to fight.

Before, I had never been a very bold, audacious person. At the orphanage, I had done my best to blend in and fly under the radar. And never before had I felt the urge to learn to wield a weapon of war, or to fight, or possibly kill someone. But after seeing what had happened to Bauchan, I had changed.

After the hazy dawn had brightened into early morning, Moonwise arrived, just as solemn as she had been the day before. She looked over our group with a grave expression and nodded.

Then she faced at me and said, "You'll need a mount. Do you know how to ride?"

I chewed my lip and shook my head no. I had never even been close to a horse, though I had always admired them.

She gave a grunt and then said, "Hm. Come with me to the stables."

I followed her to the long, warm brown tent that served as a stable for the many horses that were training for the battle. Some were only common horses and equines, but others were Talking Horses that had agreed to allow themselves to be ridden for the battle. They called out greetings as we passed them, and then went back to conversing amongst themselves and their partners.

 And then we came to a stall where the most beautiful creature I had ever seen stood. He was the purest of whites, and his mane felt like silk and flowed all the way down his neck. He had small tufts of feathering on his heels and a small beard under his chin. But what took my breath away was the iridescent silver horn that spiraled out from between his alert ears. It was a very pale, bluish white and tapered to a dagger-sharp point about 16 inches from his forehead. I drew in an awe-filled breath as his liquid brown eyes moved over my figure. It was obvious that he was completely aware of his surroundings and knew exactly what was going on. He looked so intelligent and it was as if he were studying me.

"This is Anduril. He is a unicorn, obviously. You will be riding him in the battle."

I looked at her in shock. "Me? Ride him? But...shouldn't someone...umm, more important ride him?"

She smiled and raised her dark eyebrows. "Anduril is much more intelligent than a common horse. Nearly as clever as a Talking Horse, only he cannot speak. He can understand almost everything you say, making him an excellent mount even for someone who has little or no skill riding upon a horse. That is why he will be better for you. He will take care of you in the battle, and can also fight. Now, we shall teach you to ride."

With that she turned and began walking towards a big, open field outside of the horse tent. I looked back at Anduril and said awkwardly, "Well...I guess we should follow her. So, come on?" I was unsure of how to talk to him, and I didn't want to disrespect such a beautiful creature.

I started walking after Moonwise, looking back to make sure Anduril was coming. Sure enough, he was following right behind me, his warm brown eyes seeming to be laughing at me as he tossed his noble head.

Once at the riding ground, Moonwise instructed me to mount Anduril. I approached him, ready to climb up on his broad white back. But instead, he knelt to his knees, which made his back lower and easier for me to mount him. Once I was settled on him, he rose back up in a pitching motion. I gasped and grabbed his soft mane for balance. He felt impossibly wide and his back felt unstable beneath me. I clung to his mane for dear life as Moonwise clucked her tongue and Anduril started walking.

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Over the next few days, I developed a routine. I would wake and go to the horse tent at dawn, brush Anduril until he was satisfied, and meet Moonwise at the grounds for my lesson. She would instruct me on what to practice for an hour, and then she would leave me and my unicorn alone while she went to train the other centaurs.

My balance grew steadier and my confidence grew stronger as I practiced steering only with my legs by giving Anduril cues with varying leg pressure. I also worked on letting go of him with my hands, as I would need both of them free to fight with. Anduril sensed the slightest leg pressure and responded to it immediately. He was also very careful never to unseat me or frighten me, and was always gentle. I talked to him constantly, and he really did understand everything I said.

"All right Andy, I guess we'll try cantering today. But if you feel me slipping, stop, all right?" We went from his comfortable walk up into a trot. His trot was bouncy, but I could sit it well now after all of the practice. Then I clucked my tongue, and he switched his gait and moved up into a canter. His ivory hooves drummed the ground with soft thuds of 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. The canter was faster, but it was rolling and smooth and I found it was comfortable to ride for long periods of time. I relaxed, and we went all the way around the camp and back to the stable. When we stopped, I slid off of Anduril's back and threw my arms around his muscular neck. I felt proud of my accomplishments on horseback and felt ready for anything Moonwise could throw at me.

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Well, maybe not quite everything. Moonwise also made me practice galloping, fighting on horseback, archery on horseback, mounting and dismounting at a gallop, wheeling, jumping, everything. I had my fair share of falling off, and my body had purplish bruises at various stages of healing all over. My body was a rainbow.

But at the end of my first month I had solid training in all areas. Moonwise decided I had come far enough to continue practicing on my own. I felt proud of my accomplishments and had formed a bond with Anduril, who I fondly called Andy.