The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

"Yes, I think--"

The full sense of Anjing's reply takes a moment to catch up to Otaku, preoccupied as she is with mentally flipping through the catalogue of equine bloodlines she and Shinjo were building out for the Ki-rin Champion's growing herd. She colors.

"..."

With a shake of her head and a soft cough, she clears away the distraction. "That is, I, I think we have some who would suit now. Over five or ten years, or twenty, we could select for better still. Hm." She clears her throat slightly. "What work do you think your Crab would use them for, mostly?"

Anjing chuckles but doesn't comment on any colouring.

"Scouting, traveling between our outposts in the mountains and the far north. But they need to be able to face combat, if a bear or a demon comes at the rider it's just them and the horse. Can't be running off in a panic."
A couple decades didn't sound too bad.

"Tsubame fought those wolves right? I can't imagine any Ki-Rin horses lacks for courage. If they are half as brave we would do well."

[Otaku]

"Hm." Otaku nods. "In a dangerous spot, it's not just about the horse having spirit, Lady Anjing. Training and trust between horse and rider are even more important. Tsubame," she gestures toward him again "or Xiaochen-san's Zhanshi might stand and fight under a rider they don't know. They're both unusual beasts, who Lady Shinjo helped us train since they were foaled. But even if they did stand, they wouldn't fight as well for a stranger."

"Good breeding and basic training can make a horse who won't throw his rider and bolt at the first sight of something wrong. A horse like that will stand while its rider dismounts to fight, or stay under control while they both escape. But if you want real fighters, that demands much more from the riders, too." She half-shrugs one shoulder as she sips her tea again. "I hope that makes sense?"

[Anjing]

"Hm." Otaku nods. "In a dangerous spot, it's not just about the horse having spirit, Lady Anjing. Training and trust between horse and rider are even more important. Tsubame," she gestures toward him again "or Xiaochen-san's Zhanshi might stand and fight under a rider they don't know. They're both unusual beasts, who Lady Shinjo helped us train since they were foaled. But even if they did stand, they wouldn't fight as well for a stranger."

"Good breeding and basic training can make a horse who won't throw his rider and bolt at the first sight of something wrong. A horse like that will stand while its rider dismounts to fight, or stay under control while they both escape. But if you want real fighters, that demands much more from the riders, too." She half-shrugs one shoulder as she sips her tea again. "I hope that makes sense?"

"I reckon so, it's like in a battleline, you're not gonna stand and fight if your fellows are turning and running, you have to be able to trust them. And for that, you need the training."
Anjing seems quite enamored with the idea, smacking a fist into her palm.

"Right, so the riders have to go help raise the baby horse, the foal? And then help in the training. More complicated hmmm, more expensive."
The daimyo was beginning to think of horses as giant piles of trade goods that then ate your rations.
"So, we'd need to send some folks south or you some folks north?"

[Otaku]

"Yes. It's very much like that." Otaku nods. "They're a part of your unit. A part that take their pay in hay and grain, but for all that, not as different as some people think."

Much as she loves horses, she would not dispute Anjing's looming realization that the beasts are enormous resource sinks. But such charming and useful resource sinks! Outside the awning, Tsubame gives a flick of his glamorous pepper-and-salt tail as if he can read her thoughts and agrees, conditionally at least.

"It might be easiest for some of you to come and work with us at first. Later, when a few of yours are experts, they can start training more in your mountains."

The more she thinks about it, the more this feels like a plan for a whole generation rather than a few years. Which seems something of a rosy fantasy under the circumstances. But rosy is good sometimes. It's warm and pretty and it's not impossible, after all.

[Anjing]

"Yes. It's very much like that." Otaku nods. "They're a part of your unit. A part that take their pay in hay and grain, but for all that, not as different as some people think."

Much as she loves horses, she would not dispute Anjing's looming realization that the beasts are enormous resource sinks. But such charming and useful resource sinks! Outside the awning, Tsubame gives a flick of his glamorous pepper-and-salt tail as if he can read her thoughts and agrees, conditionally at least.

"It might be easiest for some of you to come and work with us at first. Later, when a few of yours are experts, they can start training more in your mountains."

The more she thinks about it, the more this feels like a plan for a whole generation rather than a few years. Which seems something of a rosy fantasy under the circumstances. But rosy is good sometimes. It's warm and pretty and it's not impossible, after all.

"Makes sense. We don't have to rush anyway, takes a while to learn how to do something properly anyway."
Her eyes lose focus slightly as she starts mentally calculating, thinking back to the promising young members of her clan.

"Right, what sort of qualities do you need in a horse rider? I got tall warriors and I got short warriors."
She glances back at Otaku.
"Probably want the short ones. Do they have to be stubborn? Most of my short warriors are stubborn. Otherwise I can probably round up a couple flexible ones."

Taking a deep sip from her cup.
"And how much is this going to end up costing? You've done a good job selling me on how hard it'll be."