Read Online BloodLust (Rise of the Iliri Book 1) by Auryn Hadley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Auryn Hadley
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turned away in disgust. None of these horses were anything like what the Blades were mounted on. They were culls. She turned to the fields, her mind still foggy from the hangover, and saw that the pastures were filled with horses – more than usual. She thought back over the Lieutenant's words and realized that he hadn't limited them to these seven, merely said he had them pulled up. She looked harder, her catlike eyes allowing her to see farther than most humans. The quality horses were out there!
Sal stole a glance over her shoulder and saw Zep leaning over his own seal bay mare, eying her. Beside him, Arctic followed Zep's gaze, but before she could reach out, he smothered the link from her head. The Blades whipped around, the Lieutenant included, and Arctic gestured in her direction. Still astride his horse, LT laughed, the ringing tones carrying across the arena clearly. He held up a finger and wagged it at her, but the smile on his face showed amusement.
Confused, Sal realized they were actually speaking to each other, heads bent. Arctic must have shut down the link! She pushed a thought toward him and found nothing, his mind gone from her perception. That proved it to her. The horses before them were not the horses they were expected to choose!
Turning her attention to the fields, she narrowed her options. To her right, the mare's calling caused the horses near her to shift and drift. A well-muscled colt caught her eye with his sweeping walk and secured his place on her list with his easy transition into the canter. While she worked to narrow the choices, the Lieutenant's voice broke her line of thought.
"Ok, you've had enough time. Which of you wants to choose first?" he asked.
The veteran spoke up, "I know the one I'd take."
The Lieutenant leaned forward in his saddle, his expression asking for the soldier to continue.
"That roan, his head's as ugly as can be, but he's got talent, I think."
LT nodded and signaled a handler to remove the animal from the line. A few voices murmured. The roan had been the choice of many.
"Next?" LT asked.
"I'll take the black," a clean cut man said. His horse was also led out of the arena.
"The bay for me," called another, followed by chuckles from the group.
"Which one?" Shift asked.
"The heavy one, not the one with the star," the soldier replied.
"The blonde," a man yelled, "I always did like the blondes!"
With three horses and only 2 recruits left to choose, Sal held her tongue. The Lieutenant looked from her to the nondescript boy, waiting for one to speak up.
"Luxx, Passel, you're the only ones left."
Sal's mind whirled. She still didn't know which she preferred. Glancing out at the pastures, she scanned them one more time. The mare screamed again and the realization hit her. That animal was exhibiting the exact traits a good war horse should have! After moving for over an hour she'd barely broken a sweat. She had all the endurance Sal could ask for and more grace and ability than most seasoned battle mounts. Her choice was obvious.
"Sir?" she spoke up. When he acknowledged her, she continued, "The mare in the paddock. That's the horse I choose."
"Which?" he asked.
"The mud covered one, making a fool of herself," she said, pointing.
The applicants laughed openly, seeing little more than a filthy animal that wasn't one of the choices, and Sal realized the point of this test. The others had taken only the clues offered and made assumptions about the rules that had never been said. She'd analyzed the orders and looked for options outside the arena. The Lieutenant had been testing them not just on their knowledge of horse flesh, but on their ability to find the boundaries of a problem before them. By looking at horses outside the arena, Sal had passed, and she knew it.
The Lieutenant directed a handler to retrieve the mare from her paddock. Once in hand, the horse bowed into the halter
Sal stole a glance over her shoulder and saw Zep leaning over his own seal bay mare, eying her. Beside him, Arctic followed Zep's gaze, but before she could reach out, he smothered the link from her head. The Blades whipped around, the Lieutenant included, and Arctic gestured in her direction. Still astride his horse, LT laughed, the ringing tones carrying across the arena clearly. He held up a finger and wagged it at her, but the smile on his face showed amusement.
Confused, Sal realized they were actually speaking to each other, heads bent. Arctic must have shut down the link! She pushed a thought toward him and found nothing, his mind gone from her perception. That proved it to her. The horses before them were not the horses they were expected to choose!
Turning her attention to the fields, she narrowed her options. To her right, the mare's calling caused the horses near her to shift and drift. A well-muscled colt caught her eye with his sweeping walk and secured his place on her list with his easy transition into the canter. While she worked to narrow the choices, the Lieutenant's voice broke her line of thought.
"Ok, you've had enough time. Which of you wants to choose first?" he asked.
The veteran spoke up, "I know the one I'd take."
The Lieutenant leaned forward in his saddle, his expression asking for the soldier to continue.
"That roan, his head's as ugly as can be, but he's got talent, I think."
LT nodded and signaled a handler to remove the animal from the line. A few voices murmured. The roan had been the choice of many.
"Next?" LT asked.
"I'll take the black," a clean cut man said. His horse was also led out of the arena.
"The bay for me," called another, followed by chuckles from the group.
"Which one?" Shift asked.
"The heavy one, not the one with the star," the soldier replied.
"The blonde," a man yelled, "I always did like the blondes!"
With three horses and only 2 recruits left to choose, Sal held her tongue. The Lieutenant looked from her to the nondescript boy, waiting for one to speak up.
"Luxx, Passel, you're the only ones left."
Sal's mind whirled. She still didn't know which she preferred. Glancing out at the pastures, she scanned them one more time. The mare screamed again and the realization hit her. That animal was exhibiting the exact traits a good war horse should have! After moving for over an hour she'd barely broken a sweat. She had all the endurance Sal could ask for and more grace and ability than most seasoned battle mounts. Her choice was obvious.
"Sir?" she spoke up. When he acknowledged her, she continued, "The mare in the paddock. That's the horse I choose."
"Which?" he asked.
"The mud covered one, making a fool of herself," she said, pointing.
The applicants laughed openly, seeing little more than a filthy animal that wasn't one of the choices, and Sal realized the point of this test. The others had taken only the clues offered and made assumptions about the rules that had never been said. She'd analyzed the orders and looked for options outside the arena. The Lieutenant had been testing them not just on their knowledge of horse flesh, but on their ability to find the boundaries of a problem before them. By looking at horses outside the arena, Sal had passed, and she knew it.
The Lieutenant directed a handler to retrieve the mare from her paddock. Once in hand, the horse bowed into the halter
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