A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,89

saddle. Shadow gave a couple of short chopping steps, anxious to move.

Dominic looked down at Jake. "I'll be back before our training session; I will see you then. Learn well from Armartas, boy." Giving Jake a quick nod, Dominic spurred Shadow down the hall and out the door.

Jake made his way over to Dontas' stall, passing by some trainees stacking straw bales under the supervision of a soldier. The trainees saw him and paused in their work, staring at him and whispering to each other, while the soldier gave him a respectful nod as he went by. Jake returned the nod, though it was a little shock to him, as that was the first time that had happened. The soldier, noticing the trainees' focus, shouted for them to return to work.

He unlocked his tack room, retrieved the bridle and went over to Dontas. He put the bridle on and led him out of the stall. He began to brush Dontas, losing himself in the work, as he waited for Armartas. He did not know how long he had been brushing when Armartas joined him.

"Are you ready to start, Jake?" Armartas asked as he came up.

"Sure, Captain." Jake replied, trying to be respectful. He returned the brush to the rack room as Armartas patted Dontas. He came back out, anxious to begin.

"You can call me Armartas, Jake." Armartas said, a smile on his face. "You're not a soldier, so you do not need to use my rank."

"Ok, Armartas." Jake replied.

"Let's get started." Armartas said, clapping Jake on the shoulder. "The first thing you should always do is check your horse, looking for any signs of injury or illness." He led Jake around Dontas, pointing out areas to focus on, showing Jake how to feel along the knees and lift the hooves to inspect their condition. He had Jake demonstrate back what he had just shown him.

Once Dontas had been checked out, Armartas had Jake saddle the horse. He did not assist, testing to see if Jake remembered the earlier lesson. Once Jake had the saddle on, Armartas inspected the fit, explaining a couple of minor errors that Jake should correct. Satisfied, he had Jake get on, showing him how to adjust the stirrups for a proper fit. Having Jake remain in the saddle, Armartas took the reins and led Dontas outside to a training corral.

Handing Jake the reins, Armartas told him to just sit there and get used to being on the back of the horse. He left, limping back into the stables. Jake shifted in the saddle, trying to get comfortable. Dontas took a couple of steps when Jake moved, but did not start forward. Jake stroked his neck and made some soothing sounds. He felt a little thrill, feeling empowered as he sat on the back of his horse.

Shortly, Armartas came out of the stables, riding a large brown horse. He came over and instructed Jake on some basic commands, how to handle the reins and some tips on comfortable riding. Once Jake demonstrated that he had the commands down, Armartas said. "Let's start with a walk. Get Dontas moving."

For the next couple of hours, Jake rode around the corral, getting more comfortable as time went on. Once Armartas was satisfied that Jake could handle his horse, he led them out of the corral and to the main training grounds.

"Let's pick up the pace." Armartas said. "See how you feel at a gallop." Jake tapped Dontas with his heels and the tan horse took off, hitting his stride quickly. Armartas caught up and rode next to Jake, keeping a watchful eye on his technique. Soon, they were having the horses taking short sprints at full speed. Jake was having a great time, the wind rushing by as he leaned over the pommel as Dontas powered forward.

Jake was a bit disappointed when Armartas called an end of the training and headed back to the stables. They slowed the horses to a walk, letting them cool down. As they made their way, Jake decided to ask about Dominic leaving for the night.

"Armartas, this may sound strange, but there seemed to be something about Dominic heading east that you recognized. Why did it matter which way he went?" Jake asked.

Armartas was quiet for a moment, as he thought about the question. "How much do you know of Dominic's history?" He asked quietly in reply.

"Jonas had told me that he was a great warrior and commander of the Army and Royal Guards." Jake