Custos Unicorium 2: Nova Turba~ New Company

Chapter One: Fear

Allistair had asked for riding lessons that day. Yeah, it surprised me too. Not to say that I wasn't excited to teach him, only confused. My mate, Allistair Marcor, had been afraid of horses for as long as I'd known him. Suddenly he'd wanted riding lessons. 

His fear had become his goal. It really made me think. I'd been thinking a lot recently, with my broken leg and all I hadn't gotten to do a lot. I mean, I could still go to the haven, but once I got there I'd mostly just sit. Fall was turning cold now, and Shandu said my leg would be healed soon. 

This made me think more than most things though. I'd decided fear was a defensive thing, programmed into everyone. It keeps us safe from what we think will hurt us. But I couldn't figure out what would make a life-long fear, like Allistair's, disappear so suddenly. He must have had his reasons, and if he wanted me to know, he would have told me. So I hadn't asked. 

"Good, but always remember the balance!" I called to Allistair, who was riding Howl in circles around our yard. We'd been having these lessons almost every day since summer. Allistair had his own horse--Black of Night, a huge black horse with a black mane, minus a flaxen forelock-- he'd always had him, just never had much to do with him. 

"Oh yeah," he replied, "balance. Lowered heels." He was more comfortable around Howl, my red roan blanket-spotted mare. Probably better that way, Howl and I had a strong bond. She always knew when I needed her to listen to me. That was opposed to a huge horse that had hardly been ridden in seventeen years. If I were doing this, I'd pick Howl too. 

As it was, I was itching to try my hand at riding Black of Night. I'd been riding my whole life, and Allistair's horse would need to be taught a few things about listening to a rider, and soon so Howl wouldn't get too annoyed with it all. 

"Okay Regina, come hold her while I get down." Allistair was ready to be done fore the day. 

"You know it's possible to dismount without her being held," I said as I walked over to them. 

"Yeah, still not ready for that." I placed my hand on Howl's neck so Allistair could dismount. The sun was on its way up the sky. 

"Good girl Howl," I muttered to my horse. 

"Don't you have to get to the haven?" Allistair asked as he hugged me. 

"Yeah," I said, wondering why he was so urgent to get me to leave. I'd picked up analyzing peoples' choices of words along with thinking. "This is how it's done though!" I said, vaulting onto Howl. 

"Regina! No! Your leg," Allistair called. I hadn't gotten around to thinking before I acted. Or rather, my restraint had depreciated as I hadn't been tracking recently. 

"I'll be fine!" I called, "You know how nice Howl is!" I kept her at a walk. Trotting bothered me, and I decided it better not to risk a lope with my leg. I arrived at the haven to find surprised faces. 

"You're riding?" Hayden asked.  

"Yeah. Impulse decision." I said as I slid off Howl. I winced as my broken leg hit the ground. I should have used the other side. Stupid, why did it have to be my right leg? The one that I used for everything, of course it was the one that broke.  

"It'll never heal if you keep doing that," Koriun chided. The unicorn--whom I could see that day-- was the size of a Shetland pony, but with much less bulk, and more beautifully shaped. 

"Oh hush it's the first time I've ridden in forever," I retorted. 

"You've been riding?" A dark voice said from behind me. I jumped. I hadn't been expecting...well, to get caught. I turned toward the voice. A short old man, only adorning the hair of a beard, long and white, wearing a green cloak, stood behind me.