Moonmount Castle - LGBT, manXman

3

Coda

"It's about four miles to the town," said Cassius. "And I need to be back in a couple of hours, to help for when the Master's guests arrive. He's hosting a hunting party this weekend, so we've got to look after the guest horses as well as our own."

"You have, you mean," I said with a grin. "I doubt Ulric will let me within a hundred paces of them until he's seen me with the other horses."

Cassius grinned. "You seem sure of your abilities."

"Well, I've been around horses most of my life. My father used to say I had a way with them. They like me," I said truthfully.

"Well, for your sake I hope that's true." Cassius glanced back at the castle, and saw Ulric watching us from one of the windows of the stable house. "Come on. Let's have a gallop while he's watching. Try to keep your seat." He urged his bay mare to a canter, then to a swift gallop. Digging my heels into Pistol's flank, the gelding eagerly set off after the mare, and quickly caught her.

We galloped down the cobbled road, neck and neck, until we reached the narrow, arched bridge that crossed the River Toth. Halfway across the bridge, Pistol dug in his heels and reared up, lifting his forelegs high. Taken by surprise, I braced against the sudden stop and leant forwards across the gelding's neck.

Cassius drew his mare to a halt several paces ahead of me, and looked round as Pistol dropped back down. The gelding snorted and pranced a little, tossing his head.

Cassius grinned at me. "Not many can keep their seat when he does that. He always tries it, without fail, whenever someone new is sent out on him."

I grinned back, and booted the gelding back to a steady walk.

Cassius fell in beside me as I came past, and we continued into town.

Pistol tried to throw me twice more, each time taking me by surprise, but I refused to let the stubborn horse pitch me off. Cassius seemed impressed with my control of the horse. We reached the town in good time. It was small, with dusty streets and whitewashed houses with thatched roofs and uneven window frames.

Cassius quickly showed me how to reach the doctor's office, just past a tiny tavern, before taking me around to the north side of the town, where the animal doctor's office and the blacksmith's forge were situated on the same road.

After introducing me to the quiet animal doctor, and the burly, brusque blacksmith, Cassius turned towards home, saying he needed to return to help prepare for the arrival of the hunting party.

During the gallop back, Pistol didn't try to throw me once, instead setting a good pace home. We arrived back moments before the hunting party arrived; we had looked back and seen the various carriages and carts crossing the bridge as we trotted through the castle gates.

"Here," Cassius dismounted quickly, and handed me his mare's reins. "Give them both a good rub down, put some hay into nets for them, and get them in their stalls. Then clean the tack and hang it up. I need to help Ulric." He darted off, leaving me to stable the horses.

As I entered the servants' stalls, I saw him exchange swift words with Ulric, who nodded thoughtfully, before Cassius ran to open the huge wooden doors that led into the stalls waiting ready for the guests' horses.

As I untacked Pistol and Star, a great commotion set up in the courtyard. I quickly put hay into nets for the two horses, took up armfuls of tack and went to the tack room, going as slowly as I dared so that I could look at the new arrivals.

Five large carriages had pulled into the courtyard, each drawn by at least two horses. As I crossed the courtyard, the carriage occupants began descending. They were mostly men, though I did see two women; all were very finely dressed in silks and fine wools, and walked with straight backs and long strides, clearly higher gentry from old, noble families.

The hunting horses were travelling behind the carriages, having been ridden to the castle by servants belonging to the various guests. Each servant wore different coloured livery, proudly displaying their Master's family crest and motto, creating a colourful array of scurrying people in the stable yard.

I saw Cassius run to take the reins of two fine black geldings and lead them towards the guest stalls.

It wasn't the magnificent horses that caught my eye, however.