Welcome to the Arztenritter

[baldrshand]

Who: Ethlyn + anyone interested in healing + anyone else
Where: A clinic near the edge of town
What: Arztenritter healing brigade training! Feel free to put up your own toplevels too.
Warnings: None


The Willow Clinic wasn't the one nearest the center of town in Aldrip--more towards the fields, and crucially, near a horse paddock as well. It was where Ethlyn had found employment as one of the clinic's standing healers and where she'd first proposed the idea of what she now liked to call the Arztenritter--"doctor-knight" in old Jugdrali--who could ride out all over town and beyond it in case of emergency medical needs.

After starting on the idea with people she already knew and putting up flyers around town for a general interest-and-training day, Ethlyn made her way to the clinic bright and early in the morning to get things set up for a day of medical and horsemanship training combined.

Comments

[oracledriven]

[See, people like Marianne make this stuff look easy. Not like Noel expected to get it on the first try, of course --he's had his share of falling off a chocobo, too, you know-- but watching her, Ethlyn, some of the others...he definitely didn't think it was going to be this different.

When she pulls her horse to a stop nearby, he opens his mouth, about to mention something about the horse -- but her question catches him off-guard. He pauses, looking down at himself. Covered in clumps of dirt and grass stains...maybe a few bruises here and there. Pretty undignified. After a moment's assessment, he has to admit that nothing really feels off, and shakes his head to show for it.]

Mostly just my pride, to be honest. [He offers a somewhat wry smile to back that up.] Thanks. I'll be fine.

[snowslip]

[ Marianne dismounts from her horse. She's glad to see he isn't hurt save for a bruised ego, but there's no shame in falling. Learning to ride, getting to know your horse, it all takes time. ]

Here, I can...

[ She clasps her hands together, which glow with a simple healing spell. The light washes over the young man and soothes the aches and bruises from falling. That should hopefully help a little. As for where his horse has gone...ah, she spots the stubborn animal in the distance. ]

Don't be discouraged. It's difficult at the beginning.

[oracledriven]

[For a moment, Noel considers protesting the spell -- he's fine. But he also comes from a time and place where he knows, maybe better than a lot of people, what kind of damage something small can do when you leave it untreated. Besides, he has to admit that the healing spell does help...maybe he was a little more banged up than he thought. So instead of waving it off, he offers a quick,] ... Thanks.

[Then he follows her gaze out to the end of the field. Yep, that looks like his troublemaker. A faint, maybe slightly wry smile crosses his face at her words.]

For you, too? I mean...you made it look easy, so I figured you were a natural or something.

[snowslip]

Yes, even for me. Horses can be proud and stubborn.

[ She says that with all fondness in her voice. There were horses she bonded naturally with but also feisty ones that took time to get to know. Though she never had the misfortune of being thrown off one before. It helps she could sually sense when the horse was upset. If there was anything Marianne was born with, it was her intuition when it comes to animals. Looking at the runaway horse, she hums thoughtfully. ]

We should probably let your horse calm down. He looks to be in a bad mood. But would you like to give it another try?

[ She hands the reins of her own steed to him. A chestnut-brown horse and most dependable mare. ]

[oracledriven]

Proud and stubborn, huh...

[Noel sounds almost thoughtful as he repeats the words, noting the fondness in her voice. So less of a natural and more experienced, then. Got it. A little embarrassed, he rubs a hand over the back of his neck.]

I didn't realize their moods could be so...people-like.

[Maybe that's silly, but it's not like he has experience with animals in general. Pets and domestic animals...that's a luxury no one could manage in his time. Not enough food to go around. He has to think a moment about her question, watching the cranky horse stamp his hoof at the far end of the pasture, and then looking at Marianne's horse with similar trepidation.]

... Alright, I'll give it a shot. Any tips on how to not get this one in a bad mood?

[His tone is pretty light, but seriously, the kid is lost when it comes to stuff like this.]

[snowslip]

This child has a gentle temperament. As long as you aren't rough with her, she'll take you anywhere.

[ Marianne reassures him with a smile. The horse can't really be called little anymore, standing at full height and weighing over a thousand pounds, rippling muscles ready to ride to someone's rescue. No matter how big they get though, they're still babies in her heart. She hums in thought. ]

And she can't resist a good rub between the shoulders.

[ That'll get him on her good side quick. ]

[oracledriven]

[Noel looks from Marianne to the horse as the creature shifts her weight on her hooves. Back when there were other people to count on, he remembers how different each of them were, how they were all good at different things. Some could cook, some could hunt, some could heal...some dealt with animals, too. That's what he thinks of now -- he wonders if maybe Marianne is one of those people, too. Good with other creatures.

As for him? It doesn't come naturally. He never had much practice, so he can sometimes be a little rough. A little thoughtless in his haste. He tries to tone that down now as he mounts the horse, with no small amount of trepidation.]

Rub between her shoulders...you mean like this? [It's a bit more of a ruffle, like how you'd pet a dog, but he got the spirit. It's an attempt, at least.]

[snowslip]

Yes, just like that.

[ Marianne watches the two of them interact. She reaches out and places her hand over Noel's, gently guiding him to the spot she knows the horse likes best. She's not usually so bold, but when it comes to animals, she forgets her shyness. They're marvelous creatures, and she's always happy to share her love and knowledge of them. ]

Are there horses where you come from, um...sorry, I don't think I got your name.

[oracledriven]

[He gets the feeling she's the type of person you can learn a lot from, if you're just paying attention...so he does. He notes the gentleness of her hand, tries hard to mimic it. That's not something that comes naturally to him -- when you come from a place like his settlement, there's not really a lot of use for gentleness.

He's so occupied with trying to absorb all of this information --verbal and by example-- that he almost misses her question.]

It's-- Noel. Noel Kreiss. What about you? And...no. No horses where I'm from. Not a whole lot of animals in general.

[snowslip]

Oh...

[ Not a lot of animals... That's so sad, at least to an animal lover like Marianne. She can't imagine what life would have been like if she hadn't had the birds and squirrels for company during her years of isolation, if her horse Dorte hadn't been there for her during hard times. Even in Aldrip, her bonds with the animals she's met were a constant that's helped her through the uncertainty of life in a new world.

Absently, she moves her hand from the horse's shoulder to neck, giving the happy mare a thorough petting. ]

Is there a reason for that?

[oracledriven]

[Noel watches her reaction. She seems almost...sad about that, but-- then again, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised. It may not have been common in his time, but in other places, he knows that people bonded with animals pretty easily. It...feels like something people should do naturally. It's just his world that was messed up.]

Just... [He idly rubs the horse's neck.] It was mostly monsters, in my world. [A faint grin.] None of them were nearly as friendly as this guy.