Caladon sat on the fence, watching his two runners run around like complete idiots. His favorite, a dark liver chestnut was throwing her head around wildly, trying to get the other runner to play with her. She reared up, to the point where Caladon was afraid she would fall over, and pawed out at the black gelding.

He looked up at her briefly, snorted, and then turned his attention back to the grass. The chestnut landed back on the ground and then took off bucking around the pasture. She slid to a stop, threw her head again, and then charged back towards the black.

Caladon smiled and watched as the black just twitched his tail in annoyance as the chestnut reared up right in front of him, lashing out with her shod hooves. “Nacht why don’t you just play with her?” The black looked over when he heard his owner’s voice and trotted over to the gate, thinking it was time to come in.

Caladon got down off the fence and walked towards Nacht. He patted him on the shoulder once and then threw his arms into the air quickly, scaring the living daylights out of the gelding. He wheeled around and took off, tail to the air. Namurra, the chestnut, tossed her head and then took off after him.

An hour later Caladon brought the two runners in. he normally would have left them out, but this was the only free paddock and he needed to ride Namurra before she killed someone with all that extra energy. He brought Nacht in first, knowing he was probably ready to come out after being in the same paddock as that chestnut nightmare for almost two hours. As Caladon closed the gate behind him the gelding started to trot off towards the barn, dragging Caladon with him.

“Shells Nacht, stop it.” He said as he pulled back on the lead line a little. The gelding snorted and tossed his head, but slowed his pace to a quick walk. He patted Nacht on the shoulder and then walked into the barn, opening the gelding’s stall door and walking him in. He patted him again and then removed the halter, hanging it up on the door and then closing it.

A high pitched whinny echoed through the barn and Caladon sighed. “I guess she’s ready to come in,” he said to himself as he walked back out towards the paddock. Namurra was galloping back and forth along the fence closest to the barn, tossing her head and whinnying as she did so.

“I’m coming,” Caladon called out as he jogged over to the paddock and picked up the mare’s halter. She stopped by the gate and sniffed her rider’s head as he did so, nibbling at his hair a little. He waved her away and then unlatched the gate, pulling the halter over the mare’s head. She pushed past him and started trotting off, much like Nacht did.

He pulled her back and she remained in a walk for a moment before picking up her head and prancing around him in circles. He let her, knowing there really wasn’t anything he could do about it. She tripped once, falling to her knees. She snorted and got up quickly though, continuing to circle around her owner. “You know, you aren’t the most graceful mare in the jumping circuit,” he commented as the reached the barn.

He walked her in and then clipped the cross ties to the sides of her halter. She was fairly clean, which was good. Neither of his runners rolled when they were outside so they were always clean when they came in, a major plus. Namurra watched as he went into the tack room, and came back with her brushes, as well as her saddle, girth, and martingale.

He put the tack down and then walked back into the tack room brining out her bridle, as well as her splint boots, which protect her lower legs. She snorted and started to paw at the ground, knowing she was going to be ridden. Caladon patted her and then brushed her off quickly, not really needing to at all. He picked out her hooves, which didn’t have much in them either, and then started putting the tack on.

She was a big mare, roughly about 17 hands high and a lot to handle at times. She had days, like all runners, where they just didn’t want to do what you wanted them to. Hopefully today wouldn’t be one of those days. He had a big show the following day and he really needed to get her calmed down.

He tightened the girth, kneeing her in the stomach when she looked back and kicked out. “Cut it out you brat,” he said as he pulled it up another hole. She stomped in irritation and looked back again, barring her teeth. He smacked her on the neck and then made sure that the martingale strap was in the middle of the girth. “You are so rude,” he commented as he got the mare’s splint boots.

He hated this part, as did she. He pulled the Velcro straps apart and she swung her hind end away from him. He sighed and stood up, walking towards her and placing the first boot on her leg. He tightened the strap, being careful not to let the two Velcro sides touch as he did so. She hated that noise and would do almost anything to get away from it.

When he finally had all four on, both were panting. He wiped the sweat from his brow and then got the bridle from the hook he had placed it on. She lowered her head, letting him place the bit in her mouth and the pull the crown piece over her ears and buckle the straps. “Well at least we’re good with that now. Let’s see, that only took about two months.” He patted her and then took the reins over her head, leading her back out to the paddock.

He closed the gate behind him and then brought her by the fence so he could mount up. After her was on he walked her around, letting her see everything before they started their work out. She slowed down to look at a few things but quickly lost interest and moved on. His mare may be a monster on the ground but she’s always pretty good under saddle. A few bucks here or some resistance to some things, but she loves jumping and would jump almost anything with Caladon.

He clucked to make her trot out, making her extend her long legs. She tossed her head at first, pulling at the reins, but finally gave in and moved out. They circled the paddock a few times, doing some large and small circles, yielding and broken lines and then Caladon asked for the canter.

She pulled her head up as far as the martingale would let her and tried to take off at a gallop. Caladon pulled her back however and brought her into a slow, collected canter something she hated to do. She arched her neck and chewed on the bit, occasionally pulling on the reins.

Eventually he let her move out and she did so without trying to get too fast, which Caladon was glad to see. He made her circle, reversing the direction and asking for the switch lead in the corner. She gave it to him, as usual, with little fuss. She had always had a smooth switch lead, one you could barely feel.

After about ten minutes he schooled her over a few jumps, nothing too big or fancy but it got her worked up just the same. Caladon pulled her back as he approached a medium sized oxer. She pulled her head into the air and tried to stretch out towards the fence, irritated when Caladon didn’t let her. She took off at a good spot, arching over the jump and landing on the other side, trying to charge to the next one.

He turned to the right however, leaving the next jump in the line alone. He circled her and then went in the other direction, planning on just taking the second jump in the line this time. As he approached it he looked over briefly and saw his younger sister sitting on the fence, watching him.

He released, running his heads up his mare’s neck and grabbing onto her mane as she took off, landing quietly and giving Caladon the switch lead as he asked her to canter away towards the left, where his sister was. “What’s up?” He asked as he reached her and halted Namurra.

His sister frowned and said, “Mom says you’re going to be late, so I brought you all your stuff. It starts in about an hour and a half, and you’re draw number 6.” She rubbed Namurra’s forehead and gripped the fence tightly as the mare nudged her back.

“What are you talking about? The show isn’t until tomorrow evening.” He smacked Namurra lightly on the shoulder as she started to paw at the ground in impatience and looked back at his sister.

She shook her head and said, “remember? They changed the date because it’s supposed to rain tomorrow.” She swatted at a fly that flew by her head and then said, “You’d better hurry up. I brought your hunt coat and good helmet, breeches and boots with me. They’re back in the barn with Namurra’s show bridle, I brought that along too.”

He thanked her and then dismounted, leading a somewhat confused Namurra out of the paddock and back to the barn. “Hold her for me while I change,” he said as he handed his sister the reins and grabbed his things. “Did you get my stock pin?” He asked as he was about to walk into the tack room.

She nodded and said, “Yes, it’s still on your collar like it was before. The course is in your coat pocket as well, mom picked that up for you earlier.”

He nodded and walked into the tack room, changing and then looking over the course. He frowned when he came back out and asked, “There’s only eleven obstacles? We’re usually jumping like twenty now.”

His sister shrugged and said, “Yeah but there’s three combinations, one of which is a ditch, and the other is a liverpool. There’s a large liverpool by itself as well, jump number ten I think.”

“A liverpool combination? Since when did they make those?” He looked over the course again and said, “Other than the liverpool and the ditch combination, the course looks fairly easy.”

She nodded and said, “It’s just a single vertical and then an oxer with a liverpool under it, nothing too big.” She stroked Namurra’s head and then put the other bridle on for her brother, fastening the figure eight noseband and the curb chain. “And the course may seem easy on that sheet, but the jumps are big. I mean, to the point where Namurra might have problems, but I doubt it. She’d go over anything for you as long as she could see the other side.”

He nodded and took the reins from her sister. “Well I’d better get going if I want to have time to walk the course.” He started to walk out of the barn but stopped when his sister didn’t say anything. He looked back and saw her getting her saddle and Nacht’s bridle. “What are you doing?” He asked her.

She opened Nacht’s door and quickly tacked him up, leading him into the aisle. “I’m coming too. You’ll need someone to help you while you’re there and mom and dad can’t make it toady. Besides, my gelding doesn’t like the show atmosphere. He’d just freak out the entire time we’re there. Nacht however, is an old pro so is it ok if I take him?”

Caladon smiled and said, “Well you’ve already got him tacked up so I guess so. We have to get there quick, so let’s move.” He led Namura out of the barn and mounted up when he reached a tree stump, one they had left there for the purpose of mounting a runner. When he and his sister were both ready he smooched, sending Namurra into a canter.

They cantered slowly towards the Hold’s ring, where the show was being held. “You having trouble keeping up with him?” He asked as he looked back and saw Nacht a few lengths behind him.

His sister nodded and spurred his runner, causing him to pick up his gait a little in order to keep up. “He’s not as tall, or as long legged as Namurra so he physically can’t go as fast.”

He smiled and said, “Well he did fine for me in the lower jumping circuits but you’re right, he can’t go as fast as some of the other runners out there.” He reined Namurra back as they reached the ring and walked in quietly, followed closely by his sister and an out of breath Nacht.

As he walked up to the registry booth a man walked out and looked up at him. “Quite a runner you’ve got here, how tall is it?”

Caladon placed a reassuring hand on Namurra’s shoulder as she began to back up and said, “She’s about 17.1 give or take.” He patted her as she snorted and relaxed and said, “I’m here for the jumping class by the way.”

The man nodded and looked at his sheet. “Name?” He asked. When Caladon told him his name the man looked up, a slightly surprised expression on his face. “Caladon, really? I’ve heard a lot about you, and your horse Nacht. You won pretty much every championship with him in the division C level didn’t you?”

Caladon smiled and said, “Yes, but I let a few slip through my fingers. I’ll be riding Namurra today though, she should be my mount of choice correct?”

The man looked at the sheet again and said, “Yeah, she’s here.” He looked her over and then said, “Good luck today Caladon.”

He thanked him and then walked out to the warm up ring. His sister dismounted and tied Nacht to the fence post so she could help her brother. “I need you to let me know when draw 5 is going alright?” He walked into the ring after she opened the gate and then said, “It looks like a fairly fast course so I won’t have much time by the time they’re already on it.”

She nodded and brushed his boots off with a towel that she had brought along. “Do you want me to put the rails up?”

He looked the jumps over and then shook his head, “No they’re fine where they are. I think I’m going to work her over that liverpool there instead.” He trotted her off and then asked for the canter in the corner. As he came to the corner where the liverpool was he urged her into a gallop, clearing the liverpool like it was nothing. He patted her and then brought her back to a steady canter, deciding which jump to take next.

About fifteen minutes later his sister came back into the ring. “Draw 5 is just starting the course so you’d better get out there.” He nodded his head and cantered from the ring, stopping near the gate and watching draw 5. The course went fairly smoothly until they reached the ditch combination, where the runner refused, rearing up on his hind legs and backing away quickly.

Caladon frowned and commented, “Ok I’ll have to watch for that one.” He continued to watch as the rider attempted to get her runner over the first fence in the combination. However, after a few seconds she halted him, and tipped her helmet, letting the judges know that she was withdrawing.

Caladon stood patiently by the fence and waited to be called. Namurra however, was pawing and bobbing her head up and down, obviously excited and ready to go. Finally the judges called out his name. “Draw number six up next. Namurra, ridden by Caladon.”

He trotted into the ring and tipped his helmet in the judges’ direction. When the judge did the same he picked up the canter and headed to the first fence. It was a pretty straightforward fence along the side of the ring, just a three-rail oxer with some brush by the base and up the sides of the standards. He tapped Namurra lightly with his spurs, knowing that she would adjust herself on her own, but letting her know it was a little bigger than what they were used to.

She pulled her head up a little but listened to her rider, taking off when he told her to. She pulled her legs up tight and jumped it clear, landing light and making a large loop right when Caladon gave her the signal.

The second jump was a narrow one, only about six feet wide, which would be tight for a runner of Namurra’s size. She popped up nicely though, bringing her front feet up quickly. Her back end was a little slow however and she rubbed a rail. It stayed in the cups though, much to Caladon’s relief.

As she landed, Caladon reined her back making her go much slower. The next obstacle was a combination, only about five or six strides from the jump they just cleared. It was a fairly easy combination though, only two slightly narrow oxers. Namurra took off a little early for the first one and Caladon urged her on a little more, so that she wouldn’t come in too far back or too far forward for the second jump of the obstacle. She popped up, clearing it, with only a little room to spare but clearing it just the same.

Caladon asked for the switch lead and then cantered quickly towards jump number four, a large, brightly colored sawtooth vertical. Namurra hesitated a little when she saw the bright coloring but snorted and tossed her head when Caladon urged her on. “Alright, sorry.” He said softly as he couched into his balance position and released as he put some pressure on her with his leg, telling her to take off. He back end was slow again this time and Caldon held his breath, knowing how easily planks fell out of the cups. She pulled her legs to the right though, rubbing the top one lightly but leaving it up.

Caladon sighed in relief and collected her canter, knowing the ditch combination was next. As she saw it she pulled her head up, trying to see the rest of the combination. The first fence was level with the ground but the landing was on a decline so the runner couldn’t really see that landing or the next fence very well. After the second fence there was a slight incline and then the third obstacle, level with the first.

He smooched a little and Namurra twitched her tail in annoyance, basically telling him that she could handle it without help form him. He released as they went over the first fence and then pulled back, seeing that there was only a stride till the next fence. The chestnut listened and slowed her pace tremendously. They cleared the second fence and then charged the last stride of the combination and cleared the third obstacle as well.

Caladon patted his mare on the neck and turned her sharply left, asking her to gallop to the next fence, which was a dark brown colored vertical with brightly colored flowers curled up around the standards. Namurra looked at the flowers briefly and then took a big spot over the fence, pulling her legs up quickly and landing, making a sharp turn left again.

The seventh fence was a delicate looking natural, shaped somewhat like a dragon. He slowed her pace and set her up, taking her in straight and then giving her the correct take off spot. She arched her neck and front legs and cleared the fence with ease. As she landed though she tripped, but quickly got back up and cantered away straight, pulling on the reins.

He patted her quickly and then made a wide turn left, heading towards the eighth fence, which was a tall vertical shaped like a castle with a wide spread. Caladon tapped her lightly with the spurs, asking her to move on and then pushing and releasing when he thought he had a good spot. Namurra obviously agreed because she took off without any fuss, tucking and arching nicely and then landing on the other side, leaving the castles blocks in place.

The number nine fence was a delicate one as well so Caladon took the time to slow her down and set her up, knowing that he wouldn’t place at all if he knocked a rail down in this competition. The jump was painted white, but had bright colored red stripes on the poles and flowers at the base. Namurra bobbed her head a little as she looked at it but popped over it, seeming to hang in the air for a moment and then landing.

She snorted as Caladon spurred her and galloped off towards the next fence, which was the liverpool. She stretched out and jumped straight so that she would clear the four foot spread of shallow water. She tossed her head and pulled at the reins as Caladon tried to bring her back.

He realized that he had a bit of a stretch before the next, and last combination though so he let her gallop towards it and then he reined her back quickly so that he could set her up. The first fence in the combination was a tall vertical with a small liverpool underneath it. Caladon got down low on her neck and she took it nicely, landing and then slowing her pace a little when her rider asked her to. The last fence in the combination was a larger oxer, with a liverpool as well, this one with a wider spread. He made her take the two strides to the next fence and then released, sending her over the fence and to the other side cleanly.

He looked back, making sure it was still up and then spurred her, galloping towards the finish line. When he reached it he slowed her down to a canter and tipped his helmet to the judge again. He patted Namurra’s neck and then raised his helmet to the crowd as he exited the ring after his clear round.

As he exited the ring his sister and a man he didn’t recognize were standing there waiting for him. “You did great Caladon. There were a few times where I thought that she knocked them down but you did great.”

He smiled and dismounted, patting Namurra on the neck. “I don’t know how I’ll do though. I mean, I think I had a few time faults in the end and there were a couple other clear rounds, so we’ll see.” He looked over at the man and asked, “I’m sorry but have we met?”

The man smiled and shook his head. “No I’m afraid not. I’m searchrider J'keti, from Cincanta Weyr. My dragon blue Rweneth thinks that you would make a good candidate for our clutch.”

Caladon raised an eyebrow and asked, “Me? I could be a dragonrider?”

W’ryn laughed and said, “If you’re willing to stand then of course you could be. You’d have to leave your runner behind though I’m afraid.”

Caladon frowned and turned to his sister. “Do you have any desire to show the A circuit?”

His sister nodded and said, “Yes, I’d love to but I don’t think I’m ready right now. I think I’ll just stick to the C and B circuits.”

He nodded and said, “Well you take Nacht and Namurra then. You an use Nacht until you want to show the A circuit and then you can switch over to Namurra.” He patted the mare on the neck as she began to paw again and said, “I know she’s a monster on the ground but when you get on her she’s pretty good.”

His sister just looked at him like he was insane. “You’re going to give me Namurra and Nacht? Are you sure?”

He nodded and said, “Yeah I’m sure. I won’t have time to take care of them at the Weyr and they need to continue jumping. It’d be a waste if they were just pasture horses.”

His sister nodded and then smiled. “Have fun at the Weyr then, and come back to visit us when you can.” She took the reins from her brother and said, “I’ll take good care of them Caladon.”

He smiled and hugged her and then turned to W’ryn. “So when do we go?”

J'keti laughed and said, “As soon as you’re ready. Rweneth is waiting just outside.”

Caladon smiled once more at his sister, rubbed Namurra’s head, and then followed J'keti to his blue dragon.