Walkdown

I found a fresh bota of water to rinse away the bitterness left in my mouth. Guzzling that one down and finding another one to carry around with me. It was easier to turn my attentions to my work than mull over what was toying in my mind. Cana had entrusted me long ago to oversee the clan while she was with child. It was a responsibility I took seriously, and everything was handled much the way she would so that she could return without any difficulties. She would let me know if that ever changed and one day if she were ready to step down as Head of the Clan, I would be ready to take up the reins. No one could ever tout that under her leadership the clan prospered well, not with greed but pride. The Tuchuk have the finest beasts of all Gor. Everyone knows that and the last few envars the kaiila have been an envy. The barrens mounts come a pale second but I think the fact they have any popularity at all is because they are herbivores. It makes them less dangerous around women and children. I say teach them to ride before they walk like we do and they are less likely to become between meal snacks.

The new training techniques were accepted throughout more and more of the clan itself. I was now instructing others how to “bend” the steeds in those low barreled pivots and the sling shouldered roll that opened an opponent wide for choice of lance shot. Hiram told me that the last raid, it had saved the lives of many of our warriors and even the Turian’s wanted to know how they had trained the kaiila to move that way. I smirked to myself when he said our warriors taunted them by saying that even our women knew how to handle combat beasts better than even their best-trained armies did. Ow, that had to have hurt an ego or two.

For now I rode through the herds and pens talking to the handlers and trainers taking in the latest concerns. Their current one was my own as well, the new prospect, Nuudal. Before I would seek him out, my time would be spent inspecting talons and fangs, making sure meat was brought to the youngest foals and newest mothers. Newborn plains beasts have a lusty appetite and their mothers are not only labor weary they are intensely tempered right after birthing.

Eventually I came across the boy sitting on top a fence rail, waving his arms before a gathering of other youths as he retold the story of his taming the behemoth. I walked up and pushed him off the rail. Not so adapt at staying mounted, hmmm? His insolent additions that he had skills just made me shake my head. I pulled my small white feather from my braid to show him then after curling my fingers closed and opened again, a butterfly took wing from my palm. You cannot hang around the Spex fires without taking away a little something, something you know. I explained that there was a difference between showmanship and skill. His slight of hand and demonstrative ways had not impressed me. If he was going to carve himself a place among the clan then he would work hard and he would earn it. It would not be with tricks and flash but with blood, sweat and tears like all others of the kaiila clan, like all others of the Tribe. Maybe, just maybe somewhere in there he would earn a name. I did not mean a moniker that he could be called by but a reputation he could live by.

I decided to take a chance that somewhere in that boy was potential. I would sponsor him. First item on the agenda was to grab a sack go to the bosk herds to gather dung. He was already whining about that being slave work when I reminded him that until he understood the bosk there would be nothing more I could teach him of the ways of the kaiila.