Riding Lessons [Patterson]

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Country: Allied France, at a 3ID base
Current Time: 14:35
Weather Conditions: Sunny, with a breeze that is alternating between blowing strongly and moving past softly. Being summer, the mercury stands at a solid twenty-one degrees Celsius. For Fahrenheit users, that's about 69.8 degrees.

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The round pen was in place, the wood of sturdiest quality, all thanks to a Lieutenant-Colonel who had listened to the women's case. Two horses stood tied to a nearby fence - one a great red bay with tobiano markings, hoof feathering tipped with white, like socks. Beside it, a simple, dark bay Clydesdale stood, belly splashed with just a hint of white, its feathered hooves pure white. Niamh Dunlevy approached the Clydesdale with a simple, black bridle and English saddle, slightly worn and bought from a French farmer in exchange for a small crate of beer. She clicked her tongue, and the horses lifted their heads to see, the red bay nickering in greeting.

"'Ello, Drum," the woman said sweetly, taking a moment to pat her steed before turning to the Clydesdale. Known to the volunteers as "York", he was usually used for pulling carts of supplies, but today, he was assisting in increasing the morale and stability of the 3ID. His task was as daunting as it was noble, for the man meant for York was as stubborn as any wild stallion, and just as vicious. In fact, several volunteers were betting the man wouldn't even put one foot in a stirrup.

That man was Henry Patterson, Captain of the 3ID. Rough, tough, and known for having high blood pressure and a harsh temper, he had been a very ornery man of late - mostly because his unit's morale was in shambles. More boys were getting into fights, more incidents concerning conflict with the other Allied nationalities in the war were becoming more common, and unfinished, unsorted paperwork supposedly decorated every inch of his office. And, to make matters worse, his right-hand man, Sergeant Giles (nobody could remember his first name) was supposedly slipping up a little all due to conflict with his wife! It was madness!

So, the female volunteers, sensing the tension, knowing things could only get worse if nothing was done, did something. They went to the nearest American Lieutenant-Colonel, stated how things were, and even threw in some puppy-dog eyes to sway the Lieutenant-Colonel to the side. To their joy, it had worked, and now, Patterson was being ordered to get out of his office, taking Giles along if he wished, and have a nice, relaxing riding lesson. If he refused, then the women had just the plan to get him to get up on York's back. Well, more like between his shoulders and his back - the latter was too wide for anyone to sit on comfortably.

"He's coming, Niamh!" yelled one of the American volunteers, her voice carrying the drawl of an American Southerner.

"Righth! Goth ith!" Niamh yelled back, gently undoing the rope attached to York's halter, and sliding it off. Swiftly and easily, having done it since she was a child, Niamh slipped the riding bridle over York's head, the horse smacking his lips as he tasted the warm metal. Niamh gently stroked his neck to calm him, then went onto adjusting the saddle, ever mindful of the kicking response she could get if York was pinched the wrong way. Thankfully, the Clydesdale was good for her, and the Irish lass pulled the reins over the gelding's head, leading him into the center of the pen. Over her shoulder, she could see the women saluting as their superior approached - hopefully, he would be in a good mood that day.

[MAJ Patterson]

"Giles, it's time." Patterson said softly as he stepped out of his office into the larger section in front of it where his close bys worked for him. Giles never even looked up from his paperwork, he just squinted his eyes shut and shook his head as it slumped down onto the desk with a muddled thud.

"Sir, do we really..." he started but never finished his question as he looked up to see his Captain looking toward him with the same look of grief the Sergeant had been thinking. He now knew that Patterson was just as opposed to the notion as he was, and that also let him know that if there were any way around it that Henry wouldn't be standing there now...of course, Giles didn't know that his lessons were not ordered. Patterson had been given the option to have Giles accompany him out for the lessons, as far as he knew it was ordered, but Patterson liked to keep Giles close, especially since his wife seemed like she could no longer take being married to a military man.

"'fraid so." Patterson responded, reluctantly as he walked out the door, Giles would soon to follow. This was to be one of those rare instances where Henry retrieved the jeep, but he figured it was the least he could do since he had lied to his closest Sergeant about having to come on this little trip.

The Captain beat the jeep into ignition and sputtered up to the doors, that jeep was pretty much on it's last leg, course with their soon to be new found skills, maybe they could replace it with an equestrian. Giles hoped over the door and plopped down into the flattened cushion that used to be a semi decent seat. "Come now, at least you are out of that cramped up office" he said trying to lighten the mood.

"Wasn't cramped until we started running an actual unit out of it, now three quarters of that place is full of stacked paperwork that has the potential of collapsing and burying someone alive." he smirked, one of the few times Giles did so recently, and it was contagious enough for Patterson to return the gesture, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after-all. "Course you know when we both come back looking like we have been assaulted by an overly happy pack of wild dogs, people are gonna talk." this time he laughed a bit.

That really did set Patterson to thinking. "Hmm, good point, maybe we just 'accidentally' leave this old thing in neutral on a hill, and hope it isn't stubborn enough to survive when it reaches the bottom, pick us up a pair of stallions and call it at that." he hadn't thought it through, but when the end of this idea came, continuing to ride a horse was going to be the last thing on his mind. In fact doing anything other than laying on his stomach half drunk would be a long shot from logic in their minds when it was said and done.

Patterson and Giles bumped their way down the dirt road toward the stables in the countryside that hadn't been turned into a range on the base. Only when they could see the horses growing larger in the distance did it really hit them, they were truly going to have lessons in riding, but at least there wouldn't be any of the other men present, in fact it seemed like the only other people there were women, now that was a very strange, yet pleasant, occurrence. Patterson returned the salute as they pulled past the first female into the make shift parking area. "well I'll give you this sir, you have discovered yet another horrible smell, as if dead people weren't enough." Patterson smiled a bit at him as he killed the engine and stepped out.

"Good evening ladies, I'm Henry Patterson, Captain of the Third, and my cohort here is Dean Giles."

[Niamh Dunlevy]

"It is good to see you, Captain Patterson sir!" barked the Southerner. "Niamh Dunlevy will be your riding teacher today, sir! Her family has been training horses for the past hundred or so years, sir!"

"Aye, sir!" Niamh called from the middle of the round pen. Despite the grin on her face, she couldn't help but feel a bit off - something was too familiar about the pair she was going to teach that day. She couldn't be too tense, though, since the horses were easily able to sense that, and that might make things just a bit harder for the stubborn Captain and his aide. If York bucked Patterson off because someone nearby was uneasy, then the women's brilliant plan would end up in the metaphorical dustbin, and Patterson would have broken bones to add to his list of problems.

"Now, sirs," began Niamh, "justh open up t'e door o'er t'ere, and walk nice an' slow intho t'e pen. Sergeanth Giles, ith's good tho see yer along for t'is as well; judgin' by yer heighth, York 'ere will be good fer ye."

York's ears perked up, swiveling towards Patterson and Giles. His nostrils flared as he took in their scent, evaluating the presence of the two men he had never seen before. The Clydesdale could immediately tell they weren't in the best of moods, and he snorted, bobbing his head a little. Niamh gently stroked his neck, murmuring a few words of discomfort, and immediately shot the pair of higher-ranking men a dirty look.

"Firsth off, quith bein' sour, or York will throw ye like sack back tho where ye came from. Second, once ye 'ave lighthened up, Capthain, you come o'er 'ere first. 'Orses say ''ello' by sniffin' each ot'er's nosthrils; lean forward, take a breath, blow an' make a sniffin' sound, and York will do t'e same. Waith for him tho make sure yer 'armless aftherwords."

The woman then curled her ring and pinky finger on her left hand, and made a motion with the remaining fingers that looked like she was holding something small, like a marble.

"Afther ye 'ave done t'at, make t'is mothion wit' yer fingers, an' gently pull at an' sthroke York's mane. T'is is how horses geth tho know each ot'er - yer sayin' ye wanna be parth o' 'is herd. If he stharths nibblin' on yer uniform an' hair, sir, don't be alarmed, okay? T'at's justh him rethurnin' t'e gesthure."

Niamh then looked Patterson dead in the eyes, her expression reminiscent of a parent telling a naughty child how things were going to be.

"Now, yer probably t'inkin', 'Whath am I gonna do wit' a horse? T'is army runs on vehicles, noth horses!' Well sir, ridin' is relaxin', an' I know fer a facth yer blood pressure is geththin' tho t'e pointh where ya brain's gonna explode inside yer 'ead. An', it develops leg muscles, fer when yer thanks break down and ye need tho run like t'e wind off a baththlefield."

She then gave the men a sort of mischievous grin.

"I also know, sir, ya men disrespecth ya. T'ey t'ink t'ey can geth away wit' anyt'ing, t'at ye and Sergeanth Giles are justh a couple o' ol' eejiths wit' thoo much paperwork tho pay athenthion tho anyt'ing. Well sirs, ye know what? Whath American doesn'th know o' t'e lone sheriff on his thrusty stheed, ridin' through town with a pisthol at 'is belth, givin' a look tho all t'ose ne'er-do-'ells? Ye wanth t'eir respecth, tho puth t'e fear o' God back in 'em, t'en ye ride a freakin' horse thaller t'an ye up tho t'em, and thell 'em who's boss. People may scoff ath ya if ya justh walk up all sthiff-like, buth if ye 'ave several 'undred pounds of hard-hoofed muscle beneat' ya, t'en ya men will t'ink thwice before t'ey cross ya."

The Irish women then held up one finger to indicate she'd be a moment, giving her words some time to sink into her superiors. Walking to the fence, she called out to another American woman, "KELLY! Go geth Amanda and thell her I forgoth t'e ridin' gloves and an' 'elmeth! 'Sides, we need an exthra 'and in case one o' t'ese boys needs a smaller 'orse!"

[MAJ Patterson]

Patterson nodded as he raised an eyebrow in amazement, a hundred years was quite a long time indeed. At least they would be in good hands. He and Giles walked through the opening of the gate into the large fenced in field, but when they heard the instructor's voice they both thought for a moment. Why does that sound so familiar? it ran through both of their heads at almost the same instant, Giles got a bad taste in his mouth when he heard it, he looked toward the Captain, but Patterson never showed any sign of it ringing a bell. Before Giles could question the oddly familiar sound his thought were taken to a different place. "What do you mean 'good to see me alon...' Hey wait a second now, Captain?!" Giles started to say as he stopped in his tracks to glare into the back of his commanders head but stopped when Patterson turned with a smirk on his face, jingling the keys in his hand before he dropped them into his pocket.

"It's not so bad now is it? You're out of the office and you needed this whether you wanted to admit it or not Dean. Even I was beginning to get a bit annoyed with you." he said with a slight wink. But Giles halfway smiled back, the Captain was right, no matter how much the Sergeant wanted to say he wasn't. Patterson followed the instructions as told, walking into the stable and sniffing exaggeratedly for a few seconds, he cringed a bit at first, but it was all that bad. He glanced at Giles knowing what was running through his head, the Sergeant couldn't hold back the smile. With a look Giles kept his comments to himself, he could only enjoy it briefly for he would be doing the same thing shortly.

Patterson tried his best to make the motion as instructed, but he couldn't tell whether it worked or not. So long as the large animal didn't get to rowdy it wouldn't worry him. He stroked the horses mane a bit and rubbed his neck. Twas a beautiful creature indeed with a bit of a regal theme about it. Once Giles walked up a bit closer and took in the smell he cringed a bit too. Maybe it was the combination of the voice and the smell, but he knew for sure that this young lady was very familiar indeed, but it wasn't until the insult came that his mind was in the right place to put it all together. He looked Patterson dead in the face, and with an expression of great realization he pointed at the woman discreetly and his eyes bulged a bit but before he could utter any words Patterson clenched his lips and nodded abruptly. As the pair passed each other the Captain muttered "Yes I know, but let's not bring that up, we are at her mercy." but he had the odd feeling that Giles would ask her out for a drink when this was all over.

Patterson didn't take to the insult so kindly either, but he couldn't really say anything, if she could tell then he knew for sure that his men could tell it as well, maybe he wouldn't be some lone ranger type person striking fear into anyone after one lesson, but if this could boost his image then he had no qualms about it, besides, that Clydesdale was rather intimidating to say the least. That's when things changed...quickly. Amanda...!? rushed through his mind. Nah, couldn't be...could it? The Captain wasn't a very optimistic person by nature, but it had been a long time since his body had even felt even the slightest bit on the giddy side, he hoped, but time would tell.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Captain Patterson's attempts were not in vain. York immediately stretched his neck out as Patterson sniffed, the massive beast inhaling the soldier's scent, and blowing air back out contentedly at the man's face. When the Captain rubbed at his neck and stroked his mane, York's ears went back slightly - not enough to indicate irritation, but rather, a peaceful state of mind. Niamh smiled, and nodded approvingly.

"Very good, Capthain...York's comforthable wit' ya. T'at's whath ye were lookin' fer. Now, while Sergeanth Giles goes and says 'ello, why don'th you come o'er 'ere an'...ah, t'ere's Amanda now; we can gith yer ridin' gloves fiththed."

And indeed, it was the apple of Patterson's eye, the pretty little secretary known as Amanda. She had a smile on her face as she strode up to Niamh, the Pavee thanking the other woman as Niamh took the gloves. Pivoting on her heel, Niamh then walked back over to Patterson, saying, "Thry t'ese on, an' thell me if t'ey don'th fith. Sergeanth Giles, come o'er 'ere and do whath I showed ya - we need tho geth ye all inthroduced, so ya mounth doesn'th wanth to buck ya off as easily, heh heh."

The drought horse tossed his head, pawing a little at the ground. Niamh could tell York wanted to go, to get out and start galloping around the arena with whoever happened to be on his back. Once Giles had repeated Patterson's actions, and everyone was all ready to go, the Pavee would happily lead York out to the round pen, humming a nameless little tune as she did so.

"Righth - line up, ya thwo!" the woman barked at her superiors. "Capthain, since yer goin' firsth, come o'er 'ere to York's lefth side - ith's horse ridin' prothocol to mounth from t'e lefth side, so always remember t'at. Mounthin' block, ladies!"

Another woman hopped over the fence, holding a large, square block of wood under one arm. Half-circling around York, giving his back legs a wide berth as to not be kicked, the woman placed the block down on the ground, then hurried to the nearest side of the fence and hopped over it. Niamh grinned, rubbing her hands together, eager to finally see what the Captain could do.

"All righth, we're all seth, now - justh sthep up ontho t'e block, an' grab t'e saddle. Puth yer lefth leg in t'e stirrup, swing yer righth o'er, and thake a minuthe to geth yer balance. Thell me when you're all fine an' dandy, and t'en, we'll stharth wit' t'e basics."

[MAJ Patterson]

OOC: Mind if Kitty joins in? She does actually have a character for Amanda after all.

Patterson looked on as the large mammal moved about subtly and the young, sober, lady explained what it all meant. Rather amazing really how she was able to read the graceful creature as if she were looking at a person, t'was an impressive skill indeed. Patterson looked back and smiled to Giles now that he had pulled it off it was the Sergeant's turn. Dean just rolled his eyes slightly and walked over, ho well he did or didn't do Henry wouldn't know.

As soon as he stepped away for gloves there she stood, in all her southern beautiful glory. It was the same Amanda the Captain had first seen a week or so before in the medical bay of the unit. Same lovely smile too. Patterson smiled back trying to not look a bit on the giddy side and nodded to her. "Ma'am" he said as he reached for the gloves, worn and tattered a bit, but they fit snuggly, he figured they should and placed the other one on his remaining hand. should I say something? he pondered, but remembered her recent loss and feared even the smallest gesture might be misconstrued as a bit forward. If she wanted to talk he would return the favor, if not, well it seemed ti wasn't too hard to end up seeing her again.

Patterson walked back toward the horses, Giles and the little lady. "Left side...alright" he said softly trying to commit it to memory. Wonder why that is? he thought standing aside for a wooden box to be placed on the ground. He stepped up onto the small crate looking for what to grab hold of, that knob should work he thought as he reached out to grab the horn of the saddle. Pulling himself up clumsily and throwing his right leg over. He looked down and after a few attempts was able to plant his foot into the opposite stirrup. Then he felt extremely uneasy "Whoa..." he muttered, she had gotten him onto this behemoth of an animal and then decided that she would tell him the basics, hopefully she get them all out before he made some horrible mistake and set off accidentally not knowing how to stop.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

"Good, sir," said Niamh, smiling in satisfaction. "Yes, ith'll be a bith wobbly ath firsth, buth ye'll be fine. Always remember, lefth side firsth; we've been doin' ith since knighths were 'round, so now, ith's justh proper, like a saluthe."

The young Pavee then walked over to York's muzzle, and gingerly picked up the lead rope. Making sure it was attached well to the animal's halter, she looked up at Patterson, and said, "Now, geth comforthable. Stheady yaself in t'e saddle. Thake a breat', and justh get used to bein' on thop o' t'e world fer a moment. It's acthually lower than ith looks; if ye fall, sir, you'll only hith a footh or thwo off t'e ground. I picked York's heighth for ya so ith 'thwould be so."

Once the Captain was comfortable, Niamh would add, "Sith up straighth, heels down in t'e sthirrups, thoes up. The sthirrups should be justh before t'e ball o' ya footh. Remain calm, and thry tho thime yaself with York's rhyt'm. York, leth's go! Tck-tck!"

The horse would give a short snort, swing his tail, and begin walking. Slowly did he plod along, the steady, heavy clip-clop of his foot almost like a human heartbeat. With ease, Niamh lead the drought horse around the arena, letting Captain Patterson get used to the rhythm. A horseman had to know his steed like the back of his own hand, much like he would with a gun or a vehicle. As long as Patterson remained calm, cool and collected, his horse would do the same. They were highly empathic animals, and if Patterson was afraid of anything, the horse would pick it up on it, and become afraid itself. Then, there would be a problem, as several hundred pounds of uncontrollable equine would be flying over the fence and into the sunset, an important military commander stuck on his back.

Niamh, however, wouldn't mention such things to Patterson. He'd probably figured that out already, and if he hadn't, then she wasn't going to cause a panic, now was she?

"Ye all righth, sir?" Niamh asked after a few laps around the arena. Several of the women were watching casually, talking softly to each other about the lesson and other things. A few, however, were whispering excitedly, pointing at Patterson and giggling like schoolgirls. Admirers, perhaps? Or maybe they were just betting on how long it would take Patterson to fall off of York's back. Either way, Niamh ignored them. There were more important things at hand.

[Amanda Knight]

Amanda gave the gloves to Niamh and lent on the fence as she watched the Captain and his friend begin to start their riding lesson. She had never thought of riding a horse. It seemed a dangerous game but she knew what some of the things that were on the horse were called – like the bridle that went around and over the horse’s head and ears, and the saddle, which was where someone sat. And she knew that the horse the Captain was riding was called York.

”Ma’am” was all the Captain said to her as he strode back towards Niamh and the two great beasts. If he was trying to seduce her then it wasn’t going to work, she had lost the love of her life Ryan and no man could ever replace him, he was the one thing that she had lived for and now that he was gone…well, lets just say that life was going slightly down hill now.

This could be funny, this whole scene would be one to laugh about…but Amanda wondered why the Captain and Dean Giles had thought of riding, horses weren’t used in combat any more, they had been in the Great War and even at the beginning of this one...apparently.

A few girls were standing, casually watching the horse and the inexperienced rider walk slowly past, Amanda glanced over at them and frowning slightly, ”You lot should have some respect for this man, he is a Captain after all.” she said to them, narrowing her eyes at the younger one who looked about nineteen or so. Turning away she walked along down the fence a bit more to stand away from those laughing lot and to watch in peace the attempts of the Captain.

Niamh had ridden all her life, Amanda had heard stories that she was a fantastic horse woman; she had a huge love for horses that would never be broken…like a man and his sweetheart…like Ryan and Amanda. She stared down at the wooden fence trying to not make the tears well up.

[MAJ Patterson]

Patterson looked around a bit, slowing his breathing trying to get his heart rate to follow suit. He was a good bit uneasy on the back of the animal, and a lot of respect had been gained in his book for the soldiers that used to do this on a daily basis back in the day. This would seem to be a very complex skill, not like operating a machine or a rifle which did as you told it, a rider would probably have to pick up on the quirks of his horse and what they sounded like and all that stuff, not an easy thing to do he would find in the future, but for the moment, he was just trying to keep himself centered on the horse's back. "Heh...uh, yeah, yeah I'm okay." he said, trying not to let his voice shake. Giles didn't seem to be commenting anymore, course he probably had finally realized it was no easy task at all.

The Captain had been focusing so much on trying to keep himself, the instructor, and more importantly the horse from falling prey to something he messed up that he had temporarily gained a bit of tunnel vision. Something that melted away instantly when he heard Amanda's voice grace the air. What is it about her?! He thought to himself, he just couldn't figure out why she entered his thoughts so much, why she seemed to get to him, the two hadn't shared more than a very small and mostly professional conversation since they met, but still he thought about her possibly too much. Course now the tunnel was returning and he almost forgot he was on a horse...til his balance was in jeopardy and he probably freaked a bit, jerking quickly to try and center himself back in the saddle, his eyes bulged a bit as he yanked on the reins and tried to squeeze his legs around the beast.

OOC: Sorry, I haven't been around horses since I was a small boy, I think that was probably a bad move (which is what I was going for) but this is still all very distant to me

[Niamh Dunlevy]

OOC - I realize this post may seem a bit odd. However, Niamh is very serious about dealing with horses, since they have the potential to kill anyone when they are treated wrongly. She has especially high standards for Patterson, all on the grounds that he is a Captain, and should be "braver" in situations like this, because she assumes he has probably faced worse.

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Captains were not supposed to panic, but Patterson was doing just that. His mind seemed to be somewhere else for a moment, and for that same moment, Niamh was hoping he had gotten his balance. Next thing she knew, though, his eyes were bulging, he was pulling hard at the reins, and his legs were squeezing York's barrel. Niamh opened her mouth to say, "STHOP!" but was pulled off her feet instead. York had gone into a canter, and Niamh hadn't been able to prepare herself, the lead rope tugged from her hands. Within a few seconds, she was face-down in the dirt.

"Niamh!" cried one of the girls, hopping over the fence to run to Niamh. The Pavee, however, was on her feet in seconds, and yelled, "Geth back!" The woman did so, just as Niamh pivoted on her heel, York coming straight for her. Stepping promptly to the side, she barked at the horse, "Whoa!"

York did just that. His hooves dug into the ground, and he slid to a stop just in front of the Irish lass. He had been close to doing only one lap, but to Captain Patterson, it had probably felt like an eternity. Although a canter was mostly smooth, the horse thudding against the ground one moment and gliding across the next, the sheer speed of it could frighten several. It wouldn't have happened, though, if Captain Patterson had just remained calm - if he had had such a problem, why couldn't he have told Niamh beforehand?

"Ye know whath?" snapped Niamh, her hands on her hips, "If ye are gonna b'scared, t'an I'll justh 'ave to prove tho ya t'at you're makin' a fuss o'er not'in'!"

Going over to Patterson's left, the Pavee walked reached up, and grabbed the man's hand. If she managed to do this, she would tug as hard as she could - which, of course, was very hard - and try and yank Patterson right out of the saddle. She would jump back and let him fall, and then, he could see for himself that it was all in his head. Because he was almost as tall as York's shoulder, the fall would only be a few inches, and thus, nothing to panic over.

"T'ere!" she spat with finality. "Ya see t'at'?! Not'in' t'be 'fraid o'. Nexth thime, focus more, an' quith worryin'! I goth orders fro' people higher t'an ye, so I'm not 'bouth tho kill ya on yer own base's ground! Geth back in t'e saddle!"

She would then walk over to the lead rope, take it, and wait for Patterson to do so. However, Niamh would be kind as to motion for the mounting block again, so Patterson wouldn't fall off a second time.

[Amanda Knight]

Amanda lent on the fence and watched as the Captain rode around…peacefully at first and then suddenly, as if from out of nowhere he started to get all uptight, his seat became stiff and he yanked on the reins…

Oh god…that doesn’t look the best thing to do… Amanda thought, biting her lip as the horse’s head snapped sharply up, snorting and then….Niamh had landed on the ground as the stallion had bolted but suddenly she realized what was going on, had got up and had shouted at the horse, telling it to woah and it did, skidding to a halt in front of the feisty young Irish lass.

Amanda stood bolt up right, staring in slight fascination at the complete control she had over the horse and now its rider…the poor man, he looked pretty shocked and Niamh was now telling him what to do and to not get so uptight and to stay calm etc, etc. Amanda didn’t laugh, just smiled slightly…it was quiet funny watching a woman talk to a man in such a way…but that was what the Irish were like…much more free and feisty….

She glanced down at her watch, it was already getting on for three o’clock, and she had only meant to leave the desk for 10 minutes or so. She glanced once more at the horse, instructor and rider, waving a hand and then began to walk off back towards the Medical rooms, it had been quite funny but then again, a serious accident could have happened….

[MAJ Patterson]

Patterson's eyes widened as he went for a short, but intense little run, he was at the mercy of the animal he was riding. As he came back around to where they had been calmly going over the basics the Irish woman, a bit dirty it seemed, stepped right into the path of the creature, Patterson thought Is she freakin crazy?! but with a simple command the horse obeyed and the Captain jerked forward a bit as they came to an abrupt halt. Henry trying to catch his breath from the scare. The little woman walked around and outstretched her hand, Patterson wasn't really sure what she was saying or doing, his nerves still a bit shot at the moment. With w sudden jerk he was headed for the earth at a rapid pace. "What the h...!?" the blunt impact stopped his exclamation as he pounded into the ground. He blinked a few times before climbing to his feet. A slight look of disapproval toward the Irish lady was all he could muster, he had messed up, but after all he was just a beginner at the skill.

He glanced around, Giles seemed to have the color leaving his face and he barely caught a glimpse of Amanda as she walked off. He frown a bit and let his shoulders slump. "My apologies ma'am, I wasn't paying attention and I messed up, I hope this doesn't deter us from continuing." He said, and he was serious, no need in calling it quits now, his ribs were a bit tender but he may as well get something out of all this. That and, maybe it was the shock from the fall or the hairy ride, but he started getting images of riding around on a horse looking slightly like royalty or something of the nature.

He held up his hand and shook it from side to side for a second, holding of the mounting block, yeah he would probably look a bit like his pride had been hurt and his ego was taking over, but he wanted to get it right, even if he did look like a fool trying to mount up without assistance, but he figured he may as well start practicing the easy part while he could. After all if he ever went out in public or in combat on horseback he would feel a bit odd having someone follow him around with the small crate.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

"T'at ith doesn'th," said Niamh matter-of-factly, raising her eyebrows at the Captain, clearly still not impressed with him. He redeemed himself, however, by attempting to climb into the saddle on his own. Patterson did a proper job of it, too; getting back up onto the horse, he seemed to be a bit calmer than before. With the adrenaline rush he had just had, followed by being yanked off his mount and hitting the ground like a brick, he was probably feeling a little giddy. This is what Niamh wanted - if fear was the last thing on his mind, then he could control York better. If he could control York better, then Patterson could learn the horse's habits and manner of moving more easily. As soon as that was mastered...well, it was smooth sailing from there on, at least until the faster gaits, such as a gallop. Time would tell if Patterson was confident enough to handle a horse moving almost as fast as a jeep at full speed.

"Now," began Niamh again, "leth's thake ith from t'e thop. Heels down in t'e sthirrups, thoes up, move ya feeth so t'at t'e sthirrups are more on t'e balls o' ye footh. Sthraighthen t'at back o' yers, fix ya reins a lil'...leth's make 'em more e'en 'ere...t'ere we go."

After helping the Captain even out his reins, adjusting them so they weren't wrapped around his hands, Niamh returned to York's lead rope. She then asked Patterson, "Ready tho go?" If he gave her a "yes" answer, the Pavee would click her tongue twice again, and York would begin to move slowly forward again. Hopefully, the man wouldn't panic again this time around - the young Volunteer was unsure if she had the patience to be pulled off her feet a second time. That, and Giles would probably faint if Patterson was ever bucked off; his turn was coming up shortly, after all.

[MAJ Patterson]

Patterson reached up once more for the horn of the saddle and shoved his foot into the stirrup on the left side. He threw his weight upward and did his best to throw his left leg over the great animal. He probably didn't look very adept and he wasn't, but he was trying to get the hang of things. With a bit of fumbling around he was able to plant his remaining foot in the opposite stirrup. He turned toward his young instructor and listened as she listed off things for him to correct, this stuff wasn't easy at all, but probably once it was habit things would change without having to think about it too much.

The Captain nodded as he listened on straightening his back and leveling off the reins. He pulled his feet back a bit so that the balls of them were resting properly as he was told. "Ready as I'll ever be I guess." he replied as he leaned his weight forward a bit to prepare for the lurch forward from the horse beneath him. Not a single moment passed after he heard the instructor clicked her tongue and the animal obeyed. A steady pace it seemed, just a slow walk. Patterson finally worked up the nerve to look around him after a good distance, it was quite nice, sitting high up and taking a look at the world around one's self from a height of around ten or eleven feet. He smiled a bit and then ran through the list in his head once more making sure his posture was upright, his feet hadn't moved and he was probably holding the reins tighter than need be so that was still as it should be, he'd probably learn when the day was over that keeping his back straight would save him a bit of stiffness in the mornings to come.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

OOC - Kitty, if your post isn't a leaving post, please let me know, and I'll delete this post to keep the order.

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Upon the horse sat a more confident Patterson. He looked nervous only for a few moments, and then, began to enjoy the view, as if he were surveying the landscape from a balcony. His posture was also almost perfect, which Niamh silently congratulated him for. It wasn't easy for many people to keep their posture on a horse on their first ride. Hopefully, Sergeant Giles would follow in his commander's footsteps...or rather, hoofsteps!

But no matter how good his posture, he would be rather stiff after his first ride, especially if he wasn't used to working his leg muscles. Nothing a hot shower couldn't fix, of course.

After a few more laps around the makeshift arena, Niamh stopped. Looking up at her student, she grinned, and said, "Very good, sir. Ya posthure is good, which a loth o' beginners have throuble wit'. Sorry fer t'e rough threathmenth before, sir; ith was t'e only way I could geth rid o' any unnecessary fears. Ith's noth t'at bad o' a fall, 'cause yer up tho York's shoulder, preththy much. It only looks 'igher 'cause ye head is high up on ya body, heheh."

Clearing her throat a little, she continued with, "Now, could ya please dismounth fer me? I wanth tho see how Sergeanth Giles does on York. If he does a proper job, ith means I won't be needin' tho use two horses fer a lesson. Justh sthand o'er t'ere wit' t'e ladies, sir, and you'll geth back on in a couple o' momenths; I'm thryin' tho use t'e thime wisely."

After Patterson got off York, Niamh would lead the Clydesdale over to the fence. Stopping a few feet away from the rail, she would say, "Sergeanth Giles, would ye please sthep intho t'e ring?"