7th July: Come along by horse

"Should we need to return more hastly, it would have been safer for such fine mounts to have riders that will not cause their loss." Atkins spoke, but then looked rather apologetic, for he realized that in some way he had become the critic of Torrington's decision. It was something he could not afford as a subordinate officer.

"Pardon..." he began, but how to apologise for something that he firmly believed. Instead he chose to comment on the horses. "They are fine beasts. Impressive." He gazed ahead.

The path took them past a small selection of trees, and began to rise a little. The scouts had gone ahead now and kept a smart distance between them and the remaining part of expedition. They would be the first to warn them if the enemy showed itself.

+++

Willoughby laughed softly. "Ah, he's never gotten scared? I wouldn't do that if I were you. Horses don't take it lightly if you act like a madman on their back. not at least.. unless you mean to let them run." He smiled. He glanced at Pye. Kenley was mostly making sure that Pye did not run into any horse infront, or lag behind but otherwise he did not appear as keen to fraternise with the grasshopper.

"Do you know where we're going?..we've only been told that we're off scouting, but, maybe there's more to it than that?"

Edward raised an eyebrow.

"While the loss of their riders due to lesser mounts might be acceptable? I applaud your concern over my horses, but I'm afraid Captain Vickery would see the matter quite differently. As would I, I fear, were Imand myself without my man and my assistant."

Freddie immediately kept still and the bay, chosen because of his rather even temper, quieted down quickly and trotted an, only occassionally snorting when the column didn't move fast enough for his liking and long legs.

"Mylord says he has to look at a road between two mountains and see if the cannons can go there. He also wants to now how ... not-flat it is and whether the ... convent? You know, Kloster? ... still has women in it."

He looked anxiously at Pye's back.

"Can you help him? Or can we ride on his side? I promised to show him what I know!"

Atkins nodded, not very convinced, but never the less unwilling to argue with Lord Torrington. "...Anyway.." He began instead gazing ahead of them. "We've have scouts ahead of us now.." He paused. "... There.." He began then grew quiet. "..anyhow, alarm shall be sounded, should something be off. If it's just the locals, we will be of course informed as well. They shouldn't be a problem however.. we've had runins with them on several occasions. The worst that can happen is, if they mistake our uniforms for the French. But they are learning.. .which is good. Not every blue is French." He said knowingly.

--

"We have to hold formation, so I cannot have us ride alongside with him...but I'll try to reprimind Kenley there.." He indicated the youth that rode side by side with Pye. "To ...start being of use to our greenclad friend.. Kenley.." The youth scowled back at Willoughby. "....Teach the rifleman a little about riding, and no silly tricks. We can't afford to chase after him because you told him to do something that'll scare the animal! Understood?"

Kenley seemed almost to feel offended at such a notion but also to..pout for not being allowed to. "Yeah, yeah..." He muttered and turned to Pye at almost the same time as Willoughby turned to Freddie.

"Won't be far... if we are let to have some free time, while they do their exploration, we can have you and him learn a bit, fair?"

Edward's mouth twisted wryly.

"I know. It seems my own coat looks remarkably French from a distance. But fortunately I have been all over the land for the last few weeks, and they begin to realize that if it comes close, it is quite often only the silly engineer with his tons of questions in bad Spanish."

He kept an ear open towards the rear to hear how his 'assaistants' fared, and presently announced to Atkins:

"If you won't mind, I think I would like to exchange place with ... Kenley, I believe is his name. I would like to run through what we have to do with my assisstants once more."

----------

Freddie shook his head regretfully.

"Mylord needs us to do his surveying. That is why he said we can come."

"...Yes, sir." Of course Atkins would mind, but he was sensible not to protest it. He smiled and bowed his head. ".. at your leaisure, sir. Kenley.. switch places!" And then turned towards the front of the column again. So fair no resistance was met. Every so often one of the scouts reappeared reporting on their proceedings. Other than some wild animals in so far they had not even seen the locals.

---

While Kenley was quick to advance from Pye and towards his officer, nervous as could be, Willoughbly glanced at Freddie. "..Ah,well,.. if this is so, a later time." He promised then nodded towards the captain. "Your officer."

Edward inwardly shook his head and sighed, but outwardly he only politely inclined his head and checked the mare to let the other riders pass. When Kenley passed him, he gave him an encouraging look, then fell in line next to Trueno.

"How are you holding up, Pye?", he inquired.

_________

Freddie openly smiled when Torrington came back to them and came to ride beside Pye. "Now he will tell Zach that he will not fall down!"

He grinned at Willoughby.
"Thank you! That is most kind of you!"

Clearly another overheard and remembered phrase from Torrington. Freddie tended to pick up the speech patterns of the engineer as well as his phrases.

Willoughby inclined his head. "With pleasure, Rottländer." He smiled and looked curiously towards the greencoat rider that looked quite impressed with the arrival of Torrington and now struggled to leave the best impression he could. He sat up so straight that one could fear for the comfort of his back, held onto the reins with such force that the knuckles turned white, though surprisingly it did not pull on them and the horse still had free reign for his head to move.

The rifleman looked at Torrington, though quickly averted his gaze back to where they were going, afraid that the horse might start going towards the officer, just because he looked at him so.

"...I'm very well, sir." He answered, and very well in his case could as well have meant, 'I have not yet fallen of the horse, sir'. Willoughby chuckled.

Ahead of them, one of the scouts returned again. A report, quick then almost like a puppy that was allowed to run again, he turned about and bolted back towards the front. Just around the next bend, a couple hundred metres more, down a bit and then the clearing that they rode towards, would open to them.

"Relax, Pye ..."

Edward chuckled.

"Let go of the reins for a moment. Trueno won't bolt. Put your hands to your thighs and just concentrate on sitting the horse for a moment. You will feel that it is more comfortable to move a bit with his movements."

When the scout appeared, he raised his head and looked at the officer's reaction, but when he seemed not alarmed, he concentrated on Pye again.

Pye nodded nervously, and with great effort slowly let go of the reins. Now it was time for Trueno to run was it not? He desperately hoped he had fed him enough apples that he would behave. He would have prayed at this time had he known all the words. But Trueno did not bolt. He was still there and even with the reins now relaxed, resting against the base of his neck, the animal just walked on.

"He......he...is still here." He looked relieved. When he attempted to mimic how Torrington moved with his horse, he had overdone it and Trueno might have really wished to throw the rider off at that time, to save himself the embarrassment.

Trueno picked up his ears and walked faster, a bit irritated by being encouraged to do so while the behind of another horse were just before his nose.

"Trueno! Despacho!", Edward said sharply, ready to grab the reins. He didn't do so yet - the black was still suffering Pye without resistance, and he did not want to undercut the young man's confidence by interfering too soon.

"If you move like that, not just going with the motion but actively moving yourself, you tell him to go faster. He has been trained to take his pace from you, although he sometimes is a bit lazy. Think of it as nudging him forward a bit with each step."

Zachary watched Torrington and then tried to ease up on the thrusts , so that soon he allowed the horse to move him rather than he should move the animal. He looked a bit relieved. It was not as bad and it was more comfortable than before. Of course, Trueno did most of the work and had the horse not wanted to follow the one infront Pye would probably have been able to do little to make him.

"..Thank you sir." He said quietly, though the gratefulness made him appear quite like a puppy who has gotten a treat. "Why does he not understand English?"

"He is a Spanish horse. Trained by nominally silent monks, what's more ...", Edward mused. He shrugged.

"There aren't so many commands you need to remember. He responds just as much to the tone of your voice as to the actual words. And if you want him to turn, you bend him around your inner leg a bit. Shift your weight, and put the outer leg a bit back, then pull very gently at the inner rein. Just a bit. You don't have to actually pull him around, you just have to give him a sign of what he should do."

"I see." Pye was glad horses did not need many commands , though he was not quite sure how to test how to turn the horse. Just as he was about to give up the idea that he could try it, the path took them further to the left. Although Trueno would probably have gone in the direction anyway, Pye attempted to do what Torrington told him as well.

The other hussars watched him, but none commented for the moment. They were nearly at their destination and the clearing could already be seen. The scouts returned with the news that it had been secured. There were no French in sight.

Trueno obediently moved. The young rifleman had given the help a bit too strongly, and so the horse turned more than the way curved, and moved towards the trees, a bit more fidgety now that the rider did not clearly tell him how to go on.

Edward kept an eagle eye on proceedings, but did not interferre just yet - he wanted to see whether Pye managed on his own first.

Pye tugged sharply in the other direction. He was panicking just a little. He saw the hussars turn to observe the spectacle. He could almost hear their thoughts, how they found it awfully amusing, how they mocked that grasshopper who had no idea how to ride a horse.

"Please, please, Trueno." He mumbled as he pulled on the reins trying to get back into the column. "Back there. Like that. Back!"

Trueno tossed his head at the sharp tug, but turned - just as sharply.

"Steady, Pye!", Torrington cautioned. "Light hands ... just give him a sign what he should do, not try to pull him anywhere."

He turned to the hussars.

"Gentlemen, I believe you should keep your eyes open for the enemy, not for your amusement."

The front two hussars, the ones that were not with Atkins, muttered something about that officer and what he thought he was, but so quietly that they hoped nobody could hear them. Pye tried again as told, and gently nudged, half pleaded the horse back into the column and beside Torrington. "Sorry..." He mumbled.

Edward caught the eye of every hussar who still looked back sternly, until the other backed down, before he turned back to Pye.
"You learn by making mistakes ... and you managed to correct it all on your own", Edward gently encouraged him.

Most of the hussars turned away, Willoughby, who had not actually observed the lad for reasons of amusement, but rather whether there was a need to chase after his horse, still kept his gaze on the youth.

Only after there was a call from the front had he turned. They were there, the clearing secured. "...Sir, " He spoke, watching how pleased Pye was with the little bit of praise and he smiled too. "We're here."

Edward looked up and turned in the saddle to scan the area.

"Very good. I expect Mr. Atkins will make shure that we are as safe as can be here. Rottlaender, Pye, we get off the horses and set up the theodolite. Pye, lean back a bit and ... make yourself heavy, tell Trueno 'Pare!', which means 'Halt!', and gently pull on the reins."

Atkins gave the orders, having his troop spread out. He had gotten of the horse eventually, and had one of the hussars stand guard by those that would no longer be ridden.

Willoughby had glanced at the two grasshoppers ready to assist, should they not know how to get off. Pye was fairly...fine with it. He managed to halt Trueno, his landing was a bit hard, but never the less, he was on the floor, standing and not in a heap somewhere. Willoughby nodded then turned to Kenley.

Edward gracefully got down while Pye landed in a cheerful heap and immediately went to collect the reins. Edward waved him off.

"Please set up the instrument. I'm sure the hussars can keep an eye on our horses for the moment."

The youngster nodded and began to get what little gear they had taken, while Edward handed the reins to one of the hussars and looked for Atkins.

"Mr. Atkins, do you think we can stay here for about half an hour? That is, those of us measuring, in the thicket there were we actually should meet a cliff?"

"We should be able to." The hussar cornet answered, observing the two grasshoppers go about preparing the equipment. "Do you need any more help?" He inquired glancing at his men. Not one would be grateful but he had to show eagerness to assist a fellow officer.

Edward shook his head.

"No, thank you. We can manage quite well if you can keep watch for a moment."

Rottlaender, who had dived into the greenery, excitedly came back and then vanished with the equipment again.

More graciously, the engineer offered:

"If you should want to come along, however, that would be not a problem."