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Kaladin did not like spending time at the stables. While he wasn't technically afraid of horses anymore, he still didn't like them. But that's why it was the best place to hide. Jenet had rolled her eyes but couldn't kick him out. So, he sat head against the wall, taking a moment to breathe. At the rate his free time was disappearing he wouldn't be able to do to that anytime soon. Once he thought it wouldn't have mattered, work was a welcome distraction. That was before Amaram and Elhokar. A moist huff ruffled his hair, and Kaladin glanced up to see Dreamstorm leaning over him. The mare huffed again. “Hello” the tried captain whispered, “Come to finish me off?” he got no reply, not that he'd been expecting one. He pushed up and tried to move away from the creature. The horse did not like him, and he no desire to get trampled. His coat sleeve was caught in Dreamstorm's teeth before he got far. “Um, Jenet?” he called to the stable master. “I think Dreamstorm is out for revenge.” he doubted she'd help, but she was the only other one here.
She turned and stared at them for a minute. “Huh.” was all she said. It wasn't comforting.
“She hasn't let anyone touch her since you tried to ride her,” Jenet said approaching.
“Sorry.” Kaladin said, unsure what else to say.
Jenet sighed as she tried to pull the pair apart. She got a less than gentle bite. She frowned, looking between the two. Her and Kaladin's eyes meet briefly and Kaladin had the feeling he was about to be told something he didn't want to hear. “I almost think she wants you to ride her again” Jenet breathed in disbelief. “But no, that doesn’t make sense.”
Kaladin sighed. He looked the horse up and down, before taking a step closer to her, wiggling his arm. The horse dropped his sleeve and he leaped backward. The horse neighed and bucked as much as she could in her stall. Jenet cried out and tried to clam the animal, but she couldn’t get close to her with getting hit because of how small Dreamstorm's stall way. Kaladin reached forward and tugged the woman back. She struggled, but Kaladin tightened his grip. “Storm you!” she yelled, and Kaladin dropped her arm.
He was still staring at the angry horse. “She wants a challenge.” He said, eyes wide.
“What?” Jenet demanded, rubbing her arm.
“She isn’t a docile horse. She doesn’t want to just walk around the pen, she wants to fight. And she knows I'm willing to fight back, to give it my all to stay on. I'm willing to bet neither you or your grooms have really challenge her the way I did.” Kaladin took a step forward again. Dreamstorm huffed and bit the sleeve again dragged him closer. He could feel Jenet’s gaze burning into his head.
“You’re insane, but I suppose we can try it.”
“I don’t think it’s a choice,” Kaladin bemoaned. “at least if I break something, I’ll get some time off” he glanced at Jenet, who looked even more offended than when they first meet. “I don't suppose you’ll act as a witness that it was the horse's idea?”
Kaladin lifted himself into the saddle and let himself be flung off mere seconds later. It was a bit softer than the first time, but the horses huffed and nipped at him. Jenet moved to help him up, frowning. “I hate to say it, but you might have been right. She won't let you leave unless she gets a fight.” She shot him a bitter look, though the darkeyed man wasn't sure what's he'd done. With a heavy sigh, he swung up into the saddle again and hunkered down body tense. The horse started slow and then picked up speed when Kaladin made an effort to say on.
It made him angry for some reason. He wasn’t sure why, but it did. He felt the sudden urge to beat the beast at its own game.
He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around the beast's neck. Not tight enough to hurt it, but enough to help him hold on. He loosened his knees and drew in a breath. When the horse tries to buck him off like she had the first time he's ever ridden her, he lashed his legs to the saddle, and one hand to the pommel. He leaned his weight back and then rocked forward when it Dreamstorm landed on all for legs again. The mare paused for a moment, then went wild. It has harder than ever to stay on, but Kaladin switched between holding on with her neck, mane, sides, and saddle. He made sure that he took small in small amounts of stormlight, enough to keep his feet in the stir ups, or thighs to the blanket under the saddle, but not enough to drain him all at once. He lasted longer than before, or at least he thought so. Dreamstorm had stopped bucking and tossing. She was trotting, now walking, then running, clearly hoping to throw him off balance a different way. Kaladin grinned, moving to pat her neck, feeling proud.
And then she ran right towards the fence.
Kaladin yelped as she jumped, falling out of the saddle and crashing to the ground. One leg was caught in the stir up. He groaned, yanking on it. Dreamstorm had stopped after the leap and turned her head to him, snorting. Kaladin struggled to his arms and knee. Then he hopped over and started to pull his leg out. “Alright, you storming devil. You won.” he panted out. “Again.” The horse spun, trying to face him, knocking him off balance. He groaned, and the horse huffed. He got his leg out, and gingerly tested his weight on it. It was sore but held him.
Dreamstorm spun again and nuzzled him. It startled Kaladin so much he let out a laugh. He rested his hand on the horse's neck hesitantly. After a moment or two, the horse pulled away and snorted. Kaladin laughed again. “Your right, we have reputations to keep.” he sighed, and limped over to the horse, hand resting on the saddle. He nodded his head towards the stable. Then he looked back, gulping. Jenet was standing at the fence with another figure. He felt the blood drain from his face. Dreamstorm blew air on his face again, and Kaladin glanced at the horse. “I supposed this doesn't hurt your rep the way it does mine, does it?”
Dreamstorm pranced back to the stable and Kaladin followed slowly. He didn’t try to hide his limp, hoping he could pass his stalling as pain. Dreamstorm nipped at Jenet and pranced around the paddock. She stopped when Kaladin finally got there. She nuzzled him for a brief moment again and Kaladin pushed her face away. “Vile creature. Horrible, cruel thing.” he told her, though his voice lacked heat. The horse seemed to laugh at him, licking him. Kaladin cried out, wiping at it. He caught Dalinar's eyes and blushed. “Sir.”
“Soldier.” he said, and Kaladin couldn't read his tone. The captain glanced at Jenet, hoping for any form of support. She was looking between him and Dreamstorm, who was grazing.
She sighed. “I don’t know what it is about you.” she told him, “but this is the calmest she's been in a while.”
“She just needed to let off some steam” Kaladin replied weakly.
“I suppose your right.” the stable master admitted.
Dalinar raised an eyebrow.