Horses
Roughly 16 Years After Albert's Exile
Feral's Farm, Delan (NW of Krizsan), Surface
Feral chewed the blade of grass that stuck out of his mouth as he talked with Albert. Sschass plucked a nearby blade of grass and chewed it to try to see the appeal, but he could discern none, and quickly spat it out.
Meanwhile, Feral was saying, "Yep, I got four real good horses right now. Almost a shame, but I'm looking to sell. And if you folks are gonna be traveling far, horses are your best friends."
Albert's eyes were alight as he asked, "How much?"
After swishing the blade of grass back and forth a moment, Feral said, "Two thousand coins."
Helen went pale, Sschass began to cough, and Frruh yowled, but Albert grabbed Feral's hand and said, "Done."
"Sure," said Feral, seeming slightly off balance. He said quickly to the others, "They're real good. Good horseflesh, you might say!" He chuckled a bit, then ended it awkwardly when no one joined in.
Albert was already engaged counting out the coins on the steps of the farm. It took a long time to count two thousand coins, and Helen had plenty of time to lean down and whisper tightly, "What did you just do?"
"Bought horses," Albert said, grinning as he kept counting. "Oh, you are going to love them."
"I wonder how you know that," she whispered more tightly. "Since you didn't bother to ask me. Or any of us."
Albert, finally realizing this was not the highlight of her day, asked, "What is your problem?"
He suddenly found that Sschass was whispering in his other ear, "Our problem is that you are counting two thousand coins of our money that we earned together!"
Albert finally stood and looked around, and saw Frruh still standing. Frruh strode close and said softly, "We haven't even seen these animals!"
Feral tried to put confidence into his voice, but some of it leaked out, as he said slightly too loudly in their general direction, "Why don't we go down to the pasture and lookit 'em?"
Helen whispered tautly, "Why don't we tell him we've reconsidered?"
Albert's eyes flitted back and forth as he whispered, "We shook hands."
"We didn't," Helen said, growing rigid.
Albert said appeasingly, "Think how long it takes us to go back and forth to report to Commander Anaximander, and it'll only get longer the further we explore. On horses, we'll fly like the wind."
"This would've been something that was good to hear a few minutes ago," Helen noted, unmollified.
Feral walked a few steps closer and said with both forced and genuine brightness, "It's only a short step out to the pasture. Y'all can go see'm and take in some of the beautiful scenery here. Oh, there's a nice little pond out there, and a fine view of the mountains in the distance. And, well, even if I say so myself, they are bea-au-ti-ful horses. Fine breeds, all of 'em."
They went out to the pasture, partly because Feral was so intent on hurrying them that Albert stopped counting the money to pay him and gathered it up quickly. Once there, they did see the four horses, and Helen noted sourly to herself that they were indeed magnificent animals. Why couldn't they be crummy when needed? The adventurers began to mill about, trying to work out how to approach the horses, and wondering which to pick.
Sschass tried to take hold of a horse so it would stop rearing when Frruh came near. Albert was going to help, but Feral loudly asked for him to come help get the saddles from the barn - "Those two look like they've got this." Albert thought this a stretch, as Sschass nearly tripped trying in vain to catch up to the horse, and Frruh hadn't yet even tried to mount, instead standing and folding his arms with his fur unconsciously on end, but Albert didn't have any better ideas. After they were a fair bit away, Feral said, "Albert, I didn't mean to cause an upset-"
"Oh, no, you didn't," Albert said quickly.
"Y'all can sleep on it, y'know, it's a lot of money-" Feral tried again.
"They're worth it," Albert assured him hastily.
"I know it, Albert, I know it," Feral sighed. Finally, he said, "Thing is, Albert, they are worth it, and that's why I wanted 'em to go to a good home. To folks what love and respect and can handle them. I shoulda asked ya 'afore - ever you had a horse?"
"No," Albert admitted, "but I always wanted one. A whole herd, so all my friends and I could ride one."
He looked about without realizing he was, and finally found Helen, standing near a rough-hewn fence of the pasture. She was looking away from him and from the others, at something across the distance. He wondered why she jerked her sleeve across her face before realizing she was wiping angry tears.
Albert abruptly swung his head back to face Feral, who politely ignored seeing any of this and said slowly, "They're fine beasts, but they take a lot of feed and care. You seem to be the only one comfortable with animals in your group, and it upsets the horses a bit. You're all a capable lot - you said you've been traveling and sleeping in the open, and you're careful. But this is like having four new friends. They'll defend you, but you needta defend them: from bandits tryin' to steal them, 'n' monsters tryin' to eat 'em."
Meanwhile, Frruh had gotten fairly close before the horses balked, but they did, rearing slightly. Sschass sighed, "I'm sure it's the scent. But even having you approach from upwind isn't helping."
Frruh glared at the horses and said, "How? Their odor drowns all others." He waved his hand dismissively and told Sschass, "Let's just tell him we'll walk."
Sschass had finally gotten one of the horses to accept him moving his hand down her flanks as Feral had shown them, and told Frruh, "If you want to crush Albert's soul, you go right ahead."
"At the moment, I don't particularly care about that," Frruh fumed.
"He is right - we'd be much more effective on these," Sschass pointed out. "I'm upset with him, too, but the problem is with him, not with these beasts."
"We'll be much more effective if I can ever get aboard one of these beasts," Frruh returned. "Otherwise, it's a walking pace still."
It was a few minutes later that Albert was returning with Feral and the last load of saddles. Feral was saying, "Why don't you folks sleep on it? If you help me a bit with the stables, I'll show ya' more about them horses, and give ya room n'board. In the morning, you can go on yer' way, or you can buy 'em then."
Albert looked up and saw Helen absently stroking the withers of one of the horses, which appeared quite calm. It was a sight he wanted to preserve in his memory forever. But he didn't deserve it. And she didn't deserve having to make the best of his mistakes. Sure, all four of them seemed to spend a lot of their time making the best of each others' mistakes, but that just meant he had to try to lighten their load.
"That sounds great, Feral. Thank you, and, I'm sorry," Albert told him firmly.
They strode towards the horses, and while Feral busied himself with saddling one of the horses, Albert said to his friends, "I'm sorry. I was in the wrong. Feral's agreed to let us make the final decision in the morning." He swiveled his head slowly to look each of them. "I wouldn't even be alive, much less earned a small part of that money, without each of you, and I had no right to spend it on what I wanted without a word to you."
Helen sighed, putting her forehead against the horse's flank so she wouldn't have to look at him. "I wish I hadn't said some of what I did," she admitted. "Or maybe just the way I said it. You usually have been leading us right. Don't know how it happened, just from day one you were the natural leader. But it was because you knew we were all free people working together for a common goal. So I apologize, too, and accept your apology -but it's my turn to make a condition. Don't lead us like that again. Even if you have to make a hard call I won't like - at least think about how it'll affect us."
Frruh squinted at her and said, "You know that's impossible, right? To really anticipate how any of us will take any decision? Besides, it's the hard calls that make someone mad."
"Definitely impossible," Albert agreed. "But you'll all feel better if I at least say I'll try, right?"
Frruh harrumphed, "Debatable."
Albert hung his head and balled his fists, then swallowed, relaxed, and looked up, and said, "Frruh, tell me - please - what I need to do make this right."
"You're doing it," muttered Frruh, "that's why I'm so grumpy."
"What?" Albert asked, having trouble hearing Frruh, who was standing some distance away from them and the horses.
"Feral, did you want to say something?" Frruh asked, raising his voice to be heard over the distance.
Albert lowered his head, but Sschass clapped Albert on the shoulder, saying, "Let's learn something about these animals so we can make an informed decision."
Feral showed them how to fasten the next two saddles. Frruh finally called out to them, "Feral, it's not fair to put you through any more. I can't abide the horses' scent, and vice versa. I'll walk."
"You don't have to do that!" Helen exclaimed.
Frruh walked closer to a horse, which neighed, put its ears back, then began to walk away. Frruh looked pointedly at Helen. Helen was slightly irritated, but also wondered if she'd have to eat her words.
Feral, however, coaxed the horse back towards Frruh, saying, "They just ain't used to nephilim. Just needs to learn you're friendly. I'll bet Rover here'll love you if ya feed him." The horse Feral was leading had relaxed its ears, and then began to move his neck and head oddly. Feral removed something from his pocket, and Frruh realized Rover had been trying to get it. Feral handed the object to Frruh, saying, "No, no, Rover, not now, Frruh's gonna feed you today."
The horse neighed and backed up a pace as Frruh observed the object, fresh, with long stalks, and an enormous orange root - "This is a carrot, isn't it?" Frruh asked.
Frruh and Rover regarded the vegetable, equally dubious, but at Feral's insistence, Frruh proffered the vegetable, and Rover finally took it. Once decided, Rover yanked it out of Frruh's hands, surprising the nephilim. Despite this, Frruh saw Rover chewed it slowly, perhaps with relish. Feral said warmly, "Rover's always been a sucker for food - but maybe it comes in handy here, fer makin' friends."
Albert murmured to Helen, "I feel terrible. None of you have to do this for me."
Helen murmured back, "We decided to on our own. Without telling you. We're doing it for your sake, like it or not. And because it was getting old walking back and forth. And maybe a little because Chestnut here has a beautiful coat. Now help me up into his saddle, please."
And he did. And they somehow convinced Rover to seat Frruh, half an hour later. Feral taught them the basics of riding, then had them practice a bit. Sschass accidentally scratched Derby with the scales on his arm, but that didn't prevent the duo from winning an impromptu race across the pasture.
All of them had a beautiful ride back to the barn as the sun set. Albert turned back in his saddle and saw Helen framed against the rosy sky, an enormous smile on her face as she leaned forward to tousle Chestnut's mane.
It was harder than any of them expected to do all the steps of putting away the horses' gear, cleaning the horses, and setting out the enormous, heavy quantities of food the animals needed. It wasn't totally clear that Rover was quite used to Frruh, or that Albert's admiration for Midnight would overcome the cramped muscles in Albert's own legs from just a few hours' riding. So the four adventurers had a lot to talk and think about.
But when the morning came, they and Feral and the horses were all richer, even though the Avernites were two thousand coins poorer. They set out on their horses, happy and proud and laughing together. And Rover only shied from Frruh's inept patting twice that whole day.
Author's Note: Feral may be out of character (I don't recall what he's supposed to be like,) and in the game, horses are not as complicated to take care of as I'm having Feral say. (In real life, they're probably far more complicated - I have little direct experience with them, but have heard others discuss caring for them.) In Avernum, horses are not actually attacked or stolen, and they don't need feeding - I assume they are feeding on Valorim's abundant grasslands. Also, no one needs riding lessons, the horses don't complain about any race, and I'm not sure you can sleep at Feral's. This chapter is based on thinking through things that role-playing games (and other games and stories) sometimes leave to the players' imaginations, not canonical game mechanics.