"Thanks!" It's the closest his face has been to a smile in some time. "I promise I'll practice a lot." He will, too, he will practice So Much until he gets good enough. "What's next, do I take it down and start over?"

Before Moondance can answer, the other man is back - Starwind, that’s his name - gliding elegantly toward them with robes swishing. 

Unsmiling, he stares Abras in the eye and stabs at his fledgeling shield with a tight burst of magic. The threads of power collapse on Abras, stinging his mind, and making him thoroughly lose his centre and grounding link with the earth.

The man smiles thinly, looking down at him. “Hmm. Not the worst apprentice shield I have seen, I suppose,” he says grudgingly. “Now,  you may start over.”

Abras jumps. Well, he thinks, that's one way to take it down. I'm going to want to learn how to do it myself sooner rather than later, though, that way hurts.

He starts over, fumbling for his center and then trying to ground again.

Starwind watches him with slitted eyes in a way that makes it very hard to concentrate. 

Abras tries looking somewhere else, but it turns out that not being able to see the person making him nervous is the opposite of reassuring. Also aaaaa he is being slow and Starwind is judging him for it and that is making him slower and this is the sort of loop a competent person could get out of just by noticing it but Abras' emotions are a complete mess so he's just meta-level nervous in addition to regular nervous.

Yfandes sends a powerful waft of reassurance along their bond. :You can do this, Chosen: 

Yfandes would absolutely be saying that whether it was true or not, but also he really doesn't want to disappoint her. He holds onto the wave of reassurance, centers and (hastily, sloppily) grounds, and starts trying to pull together a shield again. It's a bit like trying to tie a pair of strings together with shaking hands.

Moondance gives him an encouraging smile. :Nearly there. My shay'kreth'ashke is very strict – it does not mean you are doing badly: He gently pokes one of the weak spots again. :Strengthen it here: 

He strengthens it there, starts looking for the next weakest spot to strengthen. It's going to be a patchwork mess, and eventually he's going to have to get it right the first time, but for now it's something to keep his mind on that isn't how badly he's doing.

"Finished, boy?" This time, when Starwind tests his shield, he does it a bit more gently; it bows but doesn't shatter. "Hmmf. Good enough, I suppose." Sideways glance at Moondance. "At least it shall keep him from leaking his thoughts everywhere. With his Companion's help, he ought now be safe to be around others."

He turns to look at Abras, still not smiling at all. "My partner wishes that you be stronger physically before I begin teaching you further. I suppose we shall meet in a few days." And he swoops off again. 

Auuuugggh worst first impression ever. He just wants to sit at 'Lendel's feet and lean on his leg and have his hair petted like he used to after a long day of classes, and he'll never ever ever get to no matter how hard he works because 'Lendel will still be DEAD. There is no amount of success that would actually make anything okay, all he can do is clean up the small disasters spilling out around the edges of the big disaster. He was going to ask something about exercises for building physical strength but he's thoroughly forgotten that now.

Yfandes hovers around the edges of his mind, radiating desire-to-help but also a background uncertainty, like she isn't sure what words to say to him. 

:We could go for a ride: she suggests finally. :It's very beautiful around here. I think you'll like it: 

He knows that's not what he ought to be doing, but he doesn't think he can manage to do any more work for a while. He walks over to Yfandes. "A ride sounds good." (That's a lie; it sounds utterly neutral.) Then he looks over at Moondance. "If that's okay with you?"

"I think it an excellent idea," Moondance says, rising as well. "You needs build your stamina; I would have waited longer even for this lesson, were it not so important for basic safety. You were ill for a long time – I expect you are tired now? That is very normal." He offers a hand to help Abras pull himself to his feet. "You did well. I mean that."

"It's true," Savil says, emerging from one of the paths and starting to strip out of her robe so she can slip into the pool. "Took me nearly that long to get my first shield up, and I hadn't just been unconscious for a week being Healed. I'm proud of you, kechara." 

"Thank you. Both of you." He tries to imagine Savil being young and inexperienced; it doesn't compute. He's definitely tired, but building his stamina sounds like a good idea and resting sounds like being alone with his thoughts. "Yfandes, is your saddle around here somewhere?"

:Over here, love: She rises gracefully and leads him around to a little storage alcove behind the weird tree-plant-house. His winter clothes are all there, tidily folded in a wicker box, and Yfandes’ saddle and tack are hanging neatly on the wall.

He's put tack on horses before, but never on one who was a person and he's not sure what if anything is different. "Um, let me know if it's too tight or anything."

Yfandes is very helpful about it, moving parts of her body to exactly where it's easiest for him to reach. :Good – hmm, adjust that one a bit – that's comfortable. Ready to go? Actually, if you'd like clothing a little more durable, there should be some in the ekele that's more suitable to the weather here: 

"Something a little sturdier would be nice, if you're sure it's okay to borrow those clothes." He can take a look in the ekele and grab something that will hold up well to riding.

:Moondance set them aside for you. He's sleeping up-above with Starwind now, since you're down here – this was his room for when he didn't feel like being up in a tree: 

The clothes are a bit big on him, but there are actual pants, and there are some soft lace-up boots that clearly aren't intended for hard outdoor use but that Yfandes says ought to do fine inside the Vale. 

Actual pants: a very important thing to have when riding. Also shoes, though he'll want to be careful with this pair. Once he's clothed, Abras levers himself into Yfandes' back. It's harder than he remembers mounting a horse being; he's very out of shape.

:It'll come back: Yfandes reassures him. :Lots of walking and climbing to be done around here. Hmm – why don't I show you the swimming-hole that's over this way?: 

She starts trotting down one of the wider mossy paths (the narrower ones are twisty and overhung with vines and not nearly wide enough for her.) It is very pretty. There are flowers the size of babies hanging from vines, and little colourful birds and butterflies, and at some point a couple of adorable children stop and ask Yfandes if they can braid her mane. She submits gracefully to this for a couple of minutes before disengaging herself. 

Abras knew the names of every kind of bird and flower around his father's estate, and Haven had a lot of the same ones, but the kinds here are totally new to him! He keeps getting hit with flashes of "I wish I could show this to Tylendel but he's DEAD", but in between it's genuinely beautiful and awe-inspiring. And the children are adorable.

They emerge from the trees into a beautifully landscaped open area. There's a deep, sparkling-clear pool of water that slopes up into a sandy beach, and a tall rock beside with obvious handholds for climbing and a flat spot on top. 

Yfandes nudges for him to dismount, and then curls up in the soft grass near the water. :Want to go swimming, or just sit awhile?: