dragonlady7

witcher, meet death sitting, fit for pearls, my writing

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today was monday wasn’t it

well listen it has been real busy around here. i will have an update one of these damn days i swear. I just worked through the weekend on the cabin, and now we’re into the All Chicken All The Time phase of the week, so who knows when it will be.

here is a snippet to tide y’all over:

“Oy,” Tiron said, nudging his horse over too close, which startled Morvran’s filly. Fortunately no matter how distracted he was, some part of Morvran was always paying close attention to his horse, so he had sunk into his seat before she even fully began to react, and had her in hand, holding her head back as she tried to toss it. “Wake up.”

“Don’t harass my horse, Captain,” Morvran snapped. He’d completely failed to pay attention to anything about the column moving out.

“She’s a troublesome one,” said a woman’s voice, her Nilfgaardian softened by a Northern lilt, and he realized in some dismay that his filly had swerved more or less into Rheydin’s path, and the Crown Princess had needed to draw rein to avoid a collision.

“Sorry,” he said, feeling himself blush with mortification.

She laughed, though he couldn’t tell if it was scorn or amusement. “No, it’s no trouble. She seems rather young.”

“She’s– yes, she’s not four yet, I don’t think,” he said. “She’s not very well-trained yet, and there isn’t much time to work on her manners.”

The filly was still tense under his seat; she was unhappy and did not want to do this, and if he were training her at home now would be the time for him to stop the session, cool her down, groom her, give her some treats, turn her out on pasture for the rest of the day. She needed a break, she was still so young and it was overtaxing her to have to work so endlessly.

But they were in… he’d lost track of where they were. They’d come through Nazair, he vaguely remembered. At any rate, they had two weeks yet, at least. She sighed, and some of the tension left her neck, enough that he could let go of the reins with one hand and pat her shoulder. “Be easy, sweetheart,” he told her, “the captain is a troublemaker and a scoundrel. You have to ignore him.”

“I,” the princess said, “er, are you speaking to the horse?”

He felt himself blush again. “Oh,” he said, “yes, sorry, I was speaking to the horse. Ca– Highness, Captain Hesner is not actually a scoundrel.”

“Thanks for that, General,” Tiron said, with a laugh. “High praise! I’m going to put that in my recommendations file. Not actually a scoundrel, what a glowing review!” And he winked at the princess, who laughed brightly.

“Well,” Morvran said, “it wouldn’t do to be too effusive in praise.” He leaned forward a little, to better scratch at the filly’s mane. “Except to you, of course, darling.”

“Now you know he’s talking to the horse,” Tiron said. (Your picture was not posted)