Of grace and beauty (Adiel)

[Carlos Rodriguez]

With careful, measured steps, the teen crept closer to the small group of mares. He could easily see his own two in the herd, and because of that, he stayed low to the grass, hidden slightly. The dark haired boy didn't want his own two horses to spot him, at least, not yet. Not until he'd managed to survey them for a while. He breathed lightly, keeping close to the ground, though his nose wrinkled at the thought of getting grass-stains on his clothes. Carlos had taken over his usual forty-five minutes to dress that morning, taking time to get a long shower and actually pull his hair back neatly with a few locks framing his face instead of the messy, low ponytail he usually wore. He glanced down at the grass he crouched in once more, hoping to the gods above that nothing stained his light blue jeans and nothing got smeared across his black silk button-down shirt.

The boy looked back up, once again focusing on the herd of mares. It was a fairly usual past-time of his, as he enjoyed seeing the inner mechanisms of the herd and how things worked out between and amongst the mares… or horses in general. His two Lusitano mares were pastured strictly in the mare pasture, as they weren't to be turned out with geldings, and they were pastured with only a few other mares. The Spanish boy had waited a few days before going out to see them, as he had had no wish to disrupt their settling in… but now that they had finally settled down, he deemed it ok to go out and watch them. He was curious to see which mare in the herd was the leader, and which was the second… which ones were at the bottom of the herd order…

He was downwind from the horses, as Carly knew if one of his caught his scent then his surveying them would come to an end, as his two horses both were bonded with him extremely strongly and would immediately defer to him as the herd leader, thus creating two small herds from the one larger herd… a fact that could create a reverse effect and lead to problems. At least, until he decided to show himself to the mares himself, though when he did that, he ultimately had plans to take one or both of his horses out and work with them at a later date that afternoon. But until that time appeared, he'd stay silent and still where he lay, simply watching the group of mares and enjoying the variety of colors and breeds within the small herd. Some of the horses were quite eye-catching.

[Adiel De Noir]

Walking up the worn dirt path Adiel sighed deeply and brushed his platinum blonde waves from out of his face, turning his head up to the sky as he went, basking in the warm sun that had peeked out from behind the heavy dull gray autumn clouds that loomed in the sky. He enjoyed the feeling of the faint heat on his cheeks and the pale column of his neck. He knew to enjoy it now while he could, because before long he knew that snow would soon blanket the academy and the bitter cold would soon make it to where the walks he took during his breaks and after work far less pleasurable.

The instructor was still trying to adjust to his new home and job. It was hard for him, already the feeling of wanderlust had began to creep into his heart and mind, telling him it was time to move on even though he repeatedly told him that he needed to stay here. That it was for the better and he would soon grow used to being settled and establishing roots to the academy.This was a good job....how many people could say that they got paid good money working with some of the most incredible and stunning creatures ever to grace the planet? Adiel asked himself this every time he got that creeping feeling, and the answer was always the same. 'Not many...you're d**n lucky.'

Thankfully coming out here to watch the horses always helped to clear his mind. He loved sitting on the fence in silence, watching the mares graze, sleep and play, free to do as they pleased for once rather than following the wishes of whoever was on their backs giving commands . It had a wonderfully soothing affect on his troubled mind. Besides, when before had he ever been able to see his liebe, his heart, interacting with other horses?

Walking up into the grass along the side of the pasture fence Adiel, in stiletto boots mind you, climbed up and over the wooden poles with ease. Sliding back down onto the ground with a faint thump.
The blonde didn't see Carlos tucked down into the grass, already watching his own two mares relaxing and enjoying themselves, leaving him to think he was out here alone.
Navy eyes scanned the herd slowly, roaming over different shades of chestnut, bay, splotchy paints and the gray coats of Carlos' Lily and Lacy until a faint gleam of light brought his gaze back to Lacy's strong form.
Standing side by side the lusitano his own mount stood, nibbling affectionately at the older mare's flank, trying to get her attention away from the patch of sweet green grass she was busy eating without much luck.

It wasn't until Adiel whistled softly that the delicate akhal teke lifted her fine built head and saw her owner waiting for her in her distance. As soon as she laid eyes on him Champagne lost interest in pestering Lacy and gave an excited nicker, trotting over to greet him with her head help high and her ears pricked forward in curiosity, her coat gleaming like a pearl in the sunlight.
A soft chuckle rose to the man's chest as a firm muzzle collided roughly with his chest, shoving the wind out of him a little before he began to lovingly stroke his horse's velvety nose and neck while she nosed her way around the silk of the black corset he wore over a long sleeved white linen shirt and nipped gently as the pockets of his black breeches, searching in vain for any treats he may have brought with him .

[Carlos Rodriguez]

Carlos absent-mindedly shook an ant off his hand as he kept his eyes on the horses. He wasn't allergic to the creatures, so there was no cause to worry over it… A slow grin crept across his face as he straightened to a sitting position, careful so the equines grazing down by the creek wouldn't notice. He scowled lightly upon noticing that he had indeed gotten a grass stain on the knee of his jeans and rubbed at it furiously, hoping that it would come out later that night with excessive usage Tide Stain Remover. These were some of his favorite jeans, after-all…

In retrospect, it mightn't have been a good idea to wear some of his favorite clothes out to observe the horses…

The boy gave up and tracked his eyes back on the horses, studying each animal, taking in the coat color, the build, and trying to guess the breed but not getting anywhere close. Carly only could recognize a few breeds based on looks alone, and most of these mares, aside from his own, weren't in his limited recognition skills.

His grin curled upwards to form into a smirk as he caught sight of the gorgeous yellow-looking mare trying her best to pester his own Lacey and a chuckled to himself as his own mare didn't even bother to acknowledge the other horse. His Lacey, used to such actions from Lily, ignored many things younger horses did to attempt to either get her attention or entice her into playing.

Carlos jumped slightly as a whistle pierced the air. The sudden noise had startled him out of his 'world' and with a soft outcry of shock he lost balance from his crouched position, toppling over sideways and catching himself on his hands. The teen twisted over into a sitting position and looked around for the source of the whistle. "Senor De Noir?" He questioned softly upon spotting the man. He'd had a class with him just the other day, though in class the man hadn't wanted to be called 'Sir'… but this wasn't in class, Carlos told himself.

The boy glanced sideways as two very familiar nickers, familiar to him at least, cut through the air, and he knew immediately that his two mares had seen and heard him. Even as he turned his gaze from the instructor to the creek, he knew his horses were trotting up. He could hear their hoof-beats. Carlos didn't bother to get up and instead stayed sitting on the ground where he'd fallen. Soon enough, he was surrounded by the light white-grey and darker dappled mares. The horses converged on him, and to any outsider it might seem as though they would push over him or step atop him, they were so close, but Carly knew better and merely scratched their foreheads when the two mares lowered their heads to nudge him, no doubt wondering why he was on the ground. "Lacera, Lirio…" He said, gently pushing Lily's head aside as she shoved him a little harder than necessary, stating their names in his native tongue.

[Adiel De Noir]

At first Adiel didn't notice Carlos settled down in the grass watching how his own mares interacted with the small heard out in the pasture. The blond was totally oblivious for the longest while, cooing to Champagne and muttering sweet, loving words to her in German. Calling her his love and dear to his heart once she finally gave up frisking him for food and turned her attention to soaking up the attention she was getting like a dry sponge. Practically melting under his hands to the sound of his voice Champagne sat herself up all proper and pretty, showing herself off for her rider in hopes of earning herself more praising and scratches behind her ears as well as down her long and graceful neck.
She acted as if she hadn't seen him in months, and to Adiel it did feel like it had been that long, in its own way.

He hadn't had much time since he arrived at Blue Ridge between unpacking, getting his classes in order and making sure that Theodore got settled comfortably into his new surroundings. So by now Champagne was starting to feel horribly neglected and unloved just as much as Adiel was feeling guilty for not having at least come to see her in the past couple of days. Though he hoped to take her out for a trail ride today, just to get her out for some exercise and reassure her that he hadn’t totally forgotten about her.

As far as he had known in his own little world he had been the only thing on two legs out here, and it wasn't until something caught the eyes of the gray mare that Champagne had been making a nuisance of herself for and her dappled counterpart that the judging teacher realized that he wasn't the only one sitting in the pasture. , Watching the other two mares carefully Adiel saw them nudge and nicker at what seemed to be a pair of wriggling blue-jeans on the ground.

How curious!
Pushing his mare gently away the teacher tilted his head to the left, sending his blond bangs to one side of his head as he began to walk over to investigate, finding Mr. Rodriguez sprawled out in the tall grass, being bombarded with affection by Lacy and Lily.
Kneeling down to offer his student a hand up a small but horribly confused smile came over Adiel's lips, coxing him into asking "Carlos...what on earth are you doing down there? You'll get dirty or trampled to death if you lay on the ground like that." he said with a worried tone as if the young man didn't already know the risk of heavy hooves coming down on top of him is something were to spook the herd in his direction.

"Are you hurt at all?"[/b][/color]

[Carlos Rodriguez]

Carlos had managed to get up into a sitting position, but right as he took a moment to catch his breath his younger mare butted him hard in the chest and sent him sprawling back onto the ground. The younger mare was only playing, trying to be affectionate, but being a little rougher than the older mare, who simply rubbed her head on his arm. Carlos tapped Lirio's leg with his hand, silently telling her to back off a little.

He wasn't expecting both mares to back off, and confusion engulfed him until he heard the voice of his instructor. Of course they would act perfectly around others… A faint hint o red covered his face and he took the offered hand, letting the instructor pull him up. "Senor De Noir." He said again, softer now that he was face-to-face with the man. Carlos absently raised a hand to give Lacera's face a small scratching as she hung her head over his shoulder, and he ignored Lirio's bumping against his back until she shoved him hard enough to send him stumbling, apparently not enjoying being ignored.

"I was… I was…" He fumbled to explain his actions of being on the ground, and finally gestured with his hands towards the few horses still down by the creek, silently telling the man that he'd been observing the animals. As he gestured, Carlos glanced down at his clothes and winced as he spotted several grass stains and bits or first on his once spotless jeans. He wiped at a bit of dirt on his shirt, dusting it off. "I am not injured." He finally said, choosing to not mention that his younger mare had caught him on the upper arm with a hoof, pawing. It wasn't really hurting, and he knew it would just form a bruise, but he'd had several of those in the past from her. Lirio was a good mare, just greenbroke and had skittish tendencies. The boy hoped that Adiel hadn't seen Lirio paw at him; he was fairly certain that Lacera had been in the way… but being on the ground at the time, he had no way of knowing for sure.

[Adiel De Noir]

Once Carlos was up and on his feet, relatively safe from the tough love he was receiving from his young mare Adiel chuckled lightly, reaching out the same slender hand to tuck a stray lock of the boy’s brunette hair behind his ear. Very much in the same way a mother would tenderly fuss of her child’s untidy appearance. Carlos was quite the cute little thing, grass stained jeans and all and it caused Adiel’s parenting instincts to act up the same way it did when he was dealing with his younger brother. He simply couldn’t help it.

“Good afternoon, Herr Rodriguez.” greeting his student he chuckling once again, but this time at the pushy mare who bossed Carlos around like a bratty child. He smiled and stated “She is a pushy one, isn’t she?” as he nodded his head in Lirio’s direction. Noticing her clear demands for her owner’s attention that stood out boldly when compared to Lacera’s much more subtle request like actions.
Meanwhile Champagne acted out in her own way to show that she wasn’t pleased with being ignored by lipping at Adiel’s ponytail and tugging it harshly before sauntering off with her halter all in a bunch and her tail held high, nipping playfully at poor Lacera's flank before cantering off with a buck in her step. Leaving them all to return to the group of mares still grazing by the water where she stopped to drink.
Perhaps he didn’t have any room to talk when it came to bratty horses.

As he rubbed the back of his stinging blond head Adiel caught on to what Carlos had been trying to explain when he gestured to the herd, understanding fully. “They are quite beautiful to watch, no? Especially when they don't know you are there to see.”[/b] his tone was a little dreamy.
Ignoring the dirty hoof print on Carlos’ shirt Adiel chose to turn a blind eye to the fact that he had seen the dapple cuff him in the arm. He knew for himself that it wasn’t an enjoyable thing when someone noticed your horse misbehave or cause a fuss if they thought you were hurt. He saw no blood, and Carlos seemed to be able to move his arm just fine, so he saw no reason to be alarmed when there was no obvious damage.

“I’m afraid you can’t lay out here like that, darling. As tempting as it may be you could get seriously hurt if one of the horses chose to run your way or if they became spooked by something then you might not be able to get out of the way in time.”[/b] The teacher scolded his student lightly, trying his best not to seem like a spoil sport. “However if you want to watch them without them knowing you’re here, I’d advise climbing one of the trees.”[/b][/color]

[Carlos Rodriguez]

Carlos dusted himself off the best he could, which wasn't a lot, as grass stains don't come out easily. His actions completely froze, though, when the older man reached out to move his hair back from where the dark locks had fallen over to his face. He was sure a shocked look crossed his face, as he had never been great at hiding his emotions, and a second later a deep red bloomed on his face and he ducked his head to hide his embarrassment. No one, not even his parents when they came to visit him at his grandparents house ever had done something so… caring. Sure, he knew his grandparents loved him, they showed it all the time, and the same went for his parents on the rare occasions he saw them, but he'd never had much in terms of small, caring touches or even hugs. It was rare for him to even receive an actual smile from his grandparents, probably the reason he didn't smile much. His grandmother showed her care in her cooking and the way she cared for injuries, but she was never one to give a hug or anything more than that, and his grandfather, he was, Carlos had learned, typical of the older male mindset and was gruffer in his actions. Even his own parents preferred to buy him things instead of spend time with him when they visited, but the boy knew and understood that it was because his mother and father had given him up to his grandparents and didn't know him or know how to get to know him.

The boy shifted uneasily, unsure of how to respond to the simple act that Adiel had done, and finally looked back at the man, apologizing for his lack of… understanding, yet at the same time not quite knowing what he was apologizing for. "I… sorry… what does 'herr' mean, senor?" He quickly questioned, trying to change the subject before his lack of socialization became too obvious. Well, he was socialized, just not the way most people knew. He was both shy and outgoing, the mixing making a wholly unique person that was Carlos.

Carlos felt as though he were floundering, trying in vain to find something to say, so he did the only thing that seemed viable and latched onto Adiel's words, nodding and pushing the mare's head away. "Yes senor, she is young, though." He said softly, fearing that he may be reprimanded by the man, as his grandfather would have surely done, seeing him letting the mare push him so. He wasn't trying to, she was just not aware of her own strength and still had the mindset of a young filly. She didn't seem to understand when he did reprimand her, and if she didn't understand, she got upset and threw tantrums.

The boy's other hand went to stroke the nose of his older mare, and she responded in kind by gently pushing her face into his hand. If horses could be soul-mates, Lacera would have been Carlos's. She was gentle, like him, though she knew when to push him for more. She was protective where Carlos wasn't and she almost treated him like a wayward foal of hers, keeping between him and the rest of the herd and taking care of him when things got out on hand, being there when he needed her.

Lacera responded to the nip by Adiels mare with a quick pinning of the ears, as though warning her against doing so again, but the second the mare kept going her sweet demeanor came back and she nuzzled her owner again in the arm, gently asking for his hand to find its way back to her itchy spots under her jaw. Lirio, on the other hand, trotted after the champagne mare, perhaps hoping to entice her into a game, who knows…

Carlos turned to stare at the mares again, his eyes traveling over each horse slowly before a small half-grin appeared on his face. "Yes, they are. I used to watch the herd back home…" He said, tone almost nonexistent, his voice was so soft. His hand dropped from Lacera's face and he rubbed at his opposite arm, using his fingers to judge how large of a bruise he would have later. It was a pity he bruised so easily, and even more a pity that he was so used to the younger Lusitano keeping bruises and other injuries on his person.

He flushed red again when the other man spoke. Even if it wasn't meant to be a harsh scolding, Carlos heard every word of it and nodded miserably, choosing to look anywhere but at Adiel. He was used to his home back in Spain. His grandfather had never said a word about him laying out for hours and watching the horses they raised. "It is understood, Instructora De Noir." He said, still not looking at the man, "This is… I forget that this is not home. I would… I used to… I am sorry." He finally settled on just apologizing again, as he didn't wish to get the man's ire up by informing him that back home he used to do the same thing and would watch his grandfather's horses, mares and stallions, like he'd been caught doing.