This story is part of the Wanderer series.
Walking down the obscure courtyard path, the leaves began to rustle as he reached a parting in the tall hedges. Hidden inside was another courtyard, relatively large and empty. Its lightly trimmed grass betrayed its neglected dignity within the palace grounds. At the other side of the opening was a small building with plain wooden walls and unpainted ceramic roof tiles. Just large enough to house a single person, though with no windows and a single sliding door, it looked more like a storage shed. The open door suggested someone was inside. The clearing itself was empty.
As he approached the building, the warrior could hear a faint rustle echoing out the open door, like the bristles of a broom. Rhythmically it repeated, steadily and fluently. Turning at the threshold, he saw her, standing in the middle of the room, brushing a small horse about her height. Back turned to the doorway, she did not notice him, ensconced in her activity.
“Princess.”
Shoulders subtly jolting, she then turned to face him.
“Your father is gathering his mages.”
With a nod, she uttered an affirmative grunt, dropping her arms to her side. She looked her horse in the eyes, and it returned her gaze. With a subdued smile, she reached with her empty hand to stroke the horse’s back.
“Taking good care of your steed, I see.”
“Yes. And it too of me.”
“I trust your training is coming along well?”
“Yes.”
The man nodded in response.
“Show me.”
Suddenly looking uncertain, she looked him in the eyes. “Didn’t Father summon me?”
He smiled. “There is time.”
She gazed at the warrior’s face a little longer. Then, a smile finally broke.
“Okay.”
Setting to work, she fetched her saddle, clean and polished, from one of the half wall stall partitions. Her steed patiently watched as she stepped onto a stool and swung the saddle over its back, her hands working nimbly to pull the straps together.
Finishing, she hoisted herself onto the horse’s back straight from the stool she stood, drawing together the reins into her hands and lightly whipping them. Her steed began to move, stepping around her stool and stepping outside.
There, the girl gave another light whip, and the horse started to trot steadily forward, heading off towards the other side of the long courtyard. The warrior walked out with them, but stayed by the building, watching the princess ride forth. At the end, as they approached the hedges, the girl tugged the left end of her reins, urging the horse to turn around and return the other direction. With a firmer whip, the horse then began to gallop along the other length of the courtyard, quickly coming back to where they started.
Arriving, with a firm tug, the princess commanded the horse to come to a stop within just a few steps. She gripped tightly with her thighs, adjusting her body to stay balanced on her steed, hands held high in front of her as she tugged and eyes focused forward on the horse’s front legs. Then, judging she had stopped sufficiently, she gave a final light whip, with a slight offset tug, to direct the horse to walk back towards the warrior, who smiled.
“Very well.”
The girl affectionately returned his smile. “I hope to train it well enough to assist me in the upcoming battles.”
Hearing this, the smile on his face slightly dampened.
“I am worried about it getting hurt, though… So I’m training it to ride me in, then get out.”
He walked forward towards them as they came to a stop. “But then you will not be able to get out.”
“I know. So I will need a way to call it back.”
“We use whistles to call for our horses in the army.”
This caught the princess’s attention. “Can I have one?”
“Handle whistling,” he clarified.
“Oh… I don’t know how to. Can you teach me?”
The warrior looked at her long and hard. “Are you certain you want to participate in the war, this close to the front?”
“I must, Uncle,” the girl persisted. “I can’t let my power go to waste, and stay near the back firing bolts out of a wand like all the other magicians.”
“You need not contain yourself to the rear. But to jump directly into the fray…”
“The sword can do so much more when assisted by magic.”
Letting go of the reins with one hand and gripping it tight, as if there were a weapon in her hand, the princess concentrated and watched as its silhouette began to glow magenta purple.
“With the right metals, I can transfer my power to the blade and make it stronger. And…”
The glow spread from her hand down her arm, while gradually the entire silhouette of her body began to glow.
“I can shield myself with that power, and fight without fear.”
The warrior still looked concerned. “Every shield can break with enough force or numbers.”
“I won’t be that rash and jump into thirty men.” She met her uncle’s eyes with a resolute stare, trying to assure him.
He sighed. “Doing battle is more difficult than counting how many men are in front of you… but come.”
The uncle let go of his hands from behind his back and gestured forward with one, palm up to the sky.
“Let us not keep your father waiting any longer.”
The princess nodded, letting her silhouette return to normal. With a whip, she guided her horse back towards the stable, steadily trotting along.