[coradrawa]

 Owner       >>> PuddlebyOnTheMarsh
 Name                >>> Chiaroscuro
 Gender         >>> Female
 Adoption Price         >>> 3 Uncommons
 Training         >>> [Fully Trained]
  =====
  . Trusting
  . Curious
  . Joyful

 Offspring;
 None

 [Discipline >>>>> ]
 [Shows Entered > R: W: E:]
 [Shows Won >>>> R: W: E:]

 [Ej > ] [Ep > ]
 [Eh > ] [Ws > ]
 [Wp > ] [Wt > ]
 [Rf > ] [Rs > ]

[PuddlebyOnTheMarsh]

Chiaroscuro: ( from Italian: chiaro, “light”; scuro, “dark”) technique employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional objects.


I'm a bit slow on the uptake. I just realized Nera 113 was posted on 1/13. Was that on purpose?

[PuddlebyOnTheMarsh]

"My Neravontii," I savored the phrase as I leaned on the fence rail, "MY Neravontii." The creature in question paced past me slowly, circling the paddock for the umpteenth time. Those pupilless eyes were hard to read, (and they weren't even properly eyes), but a tiny twitch of an ear in my direction lead me to believe she was watching me too and I smiled slightly.

To be honest, the fact these huge beasts resembled horses in so many ways but didn't go "clipity clop" when passing by had taken some getting use to. For some reason that had been my major hang up. I'd always loved that sound since I was very small. Large calloused "hands" just didn't make much noise, even at a dead run. Their many other differences seemed to pale in comparison. Often I had wandered around the agency, admiring their colors and conformation as they quietly moved around their enclosures. Occasionally, I watched other folks select an individual and adopt them but I never got close and certainly never had a desire to do so myself.

A friend adopted one, however, and I was able to observe a Neravontii much closer. While I watched her train several of the not horses, I began to understand their appeal. They were much smarter than I realized. Not being entirely sure how smart was a touch unnerving but exciting too. They could possibly be more of a partner than a pet. As the mare made another pass in front of me, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her attention focused on a small stump near the fence, to my left. I followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of a small, pink tail tip waving above a fringe of grass. The Neravontii paced silently a couple steps then pounced like some sort of 7 foot tall cat.

Oh yeah, they are primarily carnivorous, how could I forget. This time, the mouse got lucky and found a niche those sturdy, black fingers couldn't invade. After a few more disconsolate pokes, she gave up. She turned her face towards me and shook her head in seeming disgust. I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help myself. She shook her head again then nodded. Suddenly remembering I'd packed a lunch, I rummaged around and found the roast beast sandwich. I broke off a third and offered it to her, "It isn't a mouse, but it's all I have." Chiaroscuro, for that was the name I had finally decided on for this lovely lady, stretched out her neck to get closer to the offering. "Come on, it's tasty," I took a quick nibble and re-offered the treat. She wasn't quite close enough yet and, instead of stepping forward, she extended her tongue and licked the meat delicately. After a brief moment of consideration, she wrapped her tongue around the entire piece and began to munch contentedly.

It was a small piece and she was a large creature so it wasn't long before she was looking for more. This time she stepped closer and I broke off another piece, wrapping the last bit and stuffing it in my pocket. She didn't even hesitate this time, she delicately took the offering, quickly finishing it off. Then she stuck her soft muzzle in my hand to see if she had missed anything. I was enchanted. I had never expected her to feel so silky and smooth. My coat twitched and Chia tossed her head twice, spun around and bound away, the rest of my sandwich clasped in her tail tip. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that too. I grinned as I watched her finish the last piece.

I'm glad I finally decided to stop waiting and adopt this subtly colored girl.

[PuddlebyOnTheMarsh]

Several weeks have gone bye in a blur. I was out hiking around the hills with my new found friend Chia near by when I finally admitted something to myself. I was delaying the inevitable. I had seen the speed the Naravanni were capable of and she must just be jollying me along at my bipedal pace. It was time to work on getting her use to a saddle.

I talked to some friends and had watched a couple trainings, trying to work up my nerve. I'd ridden horses before, many times but this was a whole other animal, literally. I'd never even attempted to train one but it didn't seem to bad, especially when this mare was so sweet. Probably couldn't have started with a better Nera. I'd started with a light blanket on her back last week. When she didn't do more than glance at it, I tried a heavier one, folded. Still no more than a slight twitch of her skin. Leaning on her during her rub down, reaching across her back to do the other side instead of walking around to get use to whatever I'd need to do to buckle this thing on.

Now I'm standing in the paddock, the fancy new saddle on the rail. I'd had the guy at the tack shop show me at least five times how all the straps and things went on. He finally gave me a pamphlet and shooed me out of the door. I tied her to the rail, giving her a neck rub with one hand while getting the saddle pad in place then figured no time like the present. I slowly transferred the saddle from the rail to her back, I resumed petting as soon as I set it in place. Chia craned her neck around, nudged the thing on her back slightly and ignored it, leaning in to her neck rub. I gave her a final pat, since I needed both hands to buckle the straps in place. It was fairly intuitive, once I had them all untangled. She was curious but gave me very little trouble. The only problem I had was in taking so long she got bored and started to pick at the saddle with her tail hand while shuffling back in forth in place a few times. It wasn't on perfectly but it wouldn't fall off so I untied her and gave her a treat then we went for a walk.

Scratch saddling off the list.

[PuddlebyOnTheMarsh]

Emboldened by the ease of actually saddling my first Neravontii I only waited a week to try to ride her. During that time I had the saddle on and off of her at least twice a day. When we went on our long walks, the saddle went too. By the third day I was leaning pretty heavily on the saddle and she didn't seem to mind. I'd pull on one stirrup or the other from time to time. The main reason I waited the full week was me being a stickler for a schedule. I'd decided not to ride her for a week and I didn't. I could have probably done it on the fifth day with the same results.

The seventh day had arrived and I suddenly got butterflies. If it hadn't been for not wanting to deviate from my set date, I might have weakened and waited. (Yet another reason I like to schedule things, helps to stop my procrastinating streak.) I'd checked the buckles for the third time and I swear Chia was somehow managing to give me an "oh get on with it" stare. Gathering the reins and setting my boot firmly in the stirrup, I mounted smoothly and awaited developments.

This did get more of a reaction, but not anything like I'd anticipated. Apparently, while I had her out watching other Nera be trained, my mare was watching too. She turned her head to inspect my new position, poked me a bit with her tail hand as if to see if I would fall off easily and then started forward across the pasture. At first she stopped every twenty feet to thirty feet to re-examine the situation but, by the time we passed the lake in the middle, she seemed to have decided I was going to stay put and picked up speed. I was suddenly very glad of all those straps and buckles, these critters could really move!

[PuddlebyOnTheMarsh]