• Memory • [Burhan] The Song of Vhalar

The seven Duchies of Central Rynmere and their respective baronies, cities, towns, villages, and landmarks each overseen by a Duke of one of the seven noble families and ultimately controlled by the King of Rynmere.
Malcolm
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[Burhan] The Song of Vhalar

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7 Vhalar 687
Malcolm approached the horse cautiously, he had twice taken a fall this morning and probably shouldn't have kept pushing his luck. The wayward mare was in a stroppy mood and now that the wind had picked up, she had become even more unbearable to ride, "Broken my arse," he hissed, planning to have words with the man who had sold her to him.

Upright in the saddle at last, he tugged on the left rein to bring her round, digging his left heel into her side lightly to speed up the act. The mare flinched but did as she was asked, moving into a brisk walk once set on the right path. Her feet danced away from soil as if she were walking hot coals, and she tucked her head against her neck, pulling on the leads. Malcolm shortened the reins, not willing to give her any leeway or freedom to make choices that didn't come from him.
A quick click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth and the animal jolted forwards uncomfortably, speeding up into a quick canter away from their estate and down the lane towards the road. The wind raced through the trees that lined the road ahead, spooking the mare sideways and causing her to walk as if on ice, worried the ground was going to give way beneath her, "Get up!" Malcolm called, the animal's ears turned back to listen before being pointed forwards again; the man could tell she was going to take some work.

Instead of pressing, he turned the mare back towards the villa. She bolted, fearing the rustle of the tree leaves behind her and Malcolm struggled to bring her to a standstill. However, once he was finally able to bring her under control, he pointed her towards the trees once more to try that again, not wanting to instil bad habits or allow the animal to think that home meant the end of their riding session.
Last edited by Malcolm on Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 335
Malcolm
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[Burhan] The Song of Vhalar

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The mare made a low rumblings sound and chewed at the bit, nodding her head nervously as the pair drew ever closer to the whispering willows, the long tentacle like vines waving back on forth with the wind as the song of the fall sang all around them. Leaves were curling and changing colours, the ground littered with those who had already fallen as summer was called to an end, "Easy," Malcolm encouraged and again the mare twisted her ears to listen to him.

This time when he turned the animal she didn't bolt like she had during the first run through and so he got her to stand with the trees at her back. The mare turned her head to stare wide-eyed at the strange sound and from knee to ankle Malcolm felt every muscle in her chest tighten with anticipation. With a click of his tongue, Malcolm urged the horse slowly forwards, pulling back on the reins if she presented any sort of fight and saw that she walk all the way back to the house without speeding up.
Vanessa stood out on the balcony with Marcus in her arms, and Malcolm could see the woman cooing softly to their son and pointing at the horse and rider down below, "I told you," he called, "she just needs a little training."
"She's beautiful," his wife smiled and pointed again so that their son might see, "come inside, supper will be on the table soon."
"Once more up the lane," he waved, "then I'll put her in the paddock and join you for the night."

His confidence renewed, Malcolm turned the horse quickly and nudged the mare's sides in order to get her to speed up. She moved into a canter and then faster still, settling into an easy gallop towards the road. He had bought the animal as a gift for Vanessa, something quiet, he had hope, which she could ride into the village only four or five miles from their shared home. It had been disappointing to find that the mare was not what the auctioneer had promised, but there seemed to be some hope yet.
Last edited by Malcolm on Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 364
Malcolm
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[Burhan] The Song of Vhalar

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There was something so freeing about riding a horse, going faster than one's own legs could ever take them. Malcolm marvelled at the strange, yet wonderful feeling of freedom, only for it to be stripped away moments later as his horse rose up at the end of the drive, kicked her font legs high and lost balance as the man slipped and pulled on the reins in order to try and regain control. Together they fell, with a loud snap announcing that the tremendous pain in his left shoulder was the cause of a severe break.
The mare rolled away from the injured man and got to her feet, bolting towards the house. Malcolm had experienced pain before, but nothing like this. His vision blurred, and later he would recall wondering why people called it 'blacking out' when he experienced an intense flash if yellow, orange, red, and white vision before the world went dark.

When he opened his eyes again it was to the sound of Vanessa's frantic screams. The sky overhead was dark and littered with stars. His hands and feet were cold, and he couldn't feel his left arm, the limb swollen and dead. When he tried to get up, Vanessa held his face and stopped him, stroking his hair out of his eyes, "Be still, my love," he remembered her saying, tears streaming down her face, "be still."

The noble woman came back with a blanket and covered the man to try and warm him up. She fashioned a makeshift stretcher from two, thin logs Malcolm had been meaning to put up in the garden for his wife's runner beans, and knotted the ends of a sheet evenly before setting it down beside him. It took a long time to get the man onto the stretcher, and miles from town or the nearest neighbour, Vanessa twice contemplated leaving him there on the drive while she went to get help, though it would be impossible without a reliable horse and a two year old in her arms, making her soon think better of it.
By the time she had managed to get Malcolm onto the stretcher, he was in so much agony that he didn't realise he was being dragged until lamplight from the house shone overhead. Going up the steps, on the other hand, was unbearable, and for a second time that night the man lost consciousness.

This time, it was Marcus who woke him, along with the urge to relieve himself, one that quickly fled when with consciousness, so too returned the pain of his injury. Marcus was hungry and tired, and didn't understand why his mother was pacing back and forth in front of the window. "Malcolm!" Vanessa cried and went to her knees at his bedside, she took his left hand and squeezed, but the man did not feel a thing. "Oh, darling, you look terrible," she sobbed, "I have to get the doctor, but I can't take Marcus with me. He'll be in his crib," she told him, one she had already moved to the end of the room so that Malcolm could see the boy.

Vanessa stroked her husband's hair and pressed a kiss to his temple before she left, and even over the sound of the pathetic child's incessant screaming, he heard his wife's quick footfalls race her across the wooden floors and out onto the drive. After two hours had passed, Malcolm didn't know if it was his unrelenting pain that tortured him, or the fact that he wasn't able to get up from the bed and comfort his crying son. He had wanted to yell at the boy to see him stop, but knew this would only make it worse. "Marcus, Marky," he cooed, "good boy, you're a good boy."

It hurt to talk, to breathe, or even blink, and soon all of the overwhelming factors of his pain, frustration, and environment led a tear to roll away from his eye and disappear over the edge of his cheek. In all his years of life, Malcolm had seldom, if ever, cried, but it seemed today would be one of those times.
Last edited by Malcolm on Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 707
Malcolm
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[Burhan] The Song of Vhalar

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They came back on horses some breaks later by which time Malcolm was no longer able to feel his fingers and Marcus’ crying had left him numb, both physically and mentally. He lay staring up at the ceiling, deaf and dumb to the world, to the pain, until the doctor tried to sit him up. He didn’t know the sound of his own mournful cry until reflected in his wife’s eyes, he witnessed the inner dread that turned her stomach in knots at seeing a loved one suffer such agony.
“Its broken,” the doctor agreed as he followed Malcolm’s ribs on his left side, pushing each individual bone with two fingers. “Along with his collar and two ribs, take a deep breath for me.”

Malcolm heard Vanessa suck in a big breath of air and hold it as he slowly filled his lungs, feeling the pain of his broken ribs and shattered collar.
“Any trouble breathing?” The man asked.
“No, not as much as there was,” Malcolm replied.
“Good, because there isn’t much I can do for a collapsed lung so far from my office. I think you will be all right. The best I can do is strap the arm up and hope it mends properly.”
“And if it doesn’t doctor?” Vanessa inquired gently as she picked up and tried to calm Marcus down.
“There are a few options, sometimes we re-break the limb and try to set it.”
“Could you set it now?”
“It feels as if it is lined up correctly and there is little I can do for his collar or ribs.”
“I swear that horse will be our dinner,” Vanessa scowled.
“No,” Malcolm said. “Leave the horse, I will tame her yet.”
Last edited by Malcolm on Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 293
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Griffin
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[Burhan] The Song of Vhalar

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Malcolm


Skills
Mount: 3
Endurance: 3

Basic Knowledge
Pain: Agony of broken bones
Horses: Can be spooked by the wind.

Specialized Knowledge
Mount: Quit while you're ahead
Mount: Training an unbroken horse
Vanessa: Practical in an emergency
Vanessa: Resolute

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