When the stables came into view, Jay felt her heart start racing with anticipation. She had loved horses since she was a little girl and had always wanted to learn how to ride. Perhaps with this new life, she would finally get that chance.
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They came to a stop in front of the stables. The building was massive and several stalls could be seen through the opening they stopped in front of. A few horses were sticking their heads through the opening of their stalls.
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"Here we are," Tom said as he helped Jay off the trailer.
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She thanked him once she was off. Once the others were off as well, she was given a tour of the stables.
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There were several different horses of different breeds and coats. Some were massive while others were small. Some were trained for shows, others for simple riding pleasures. Others still were trained for combat or hard travel.
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When Jay learned of the combat trained horses, she was surprised. She had figured that in this modern world, there was no need. But according to Jon, the horses were perfect for taking care of jobs that were far from civilization. Areas such as mountainous terrain where a vehicle would stick out.
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Jay learned that the brotherhood had bases all across the globe, taking jobs in all kinds of places. There were even a few that used camels instead of horses.
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"Assassination is a highly sought after career path," Jon said while he led her away from the rest of the group.
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Violet would be taken to the newly built vet section to check on her pregnant mare. Jon was leading Jay toward a section used for initiates to choose a horse. Their papers were in Jon's name but once an initiate selected one, the ownership would be transferred to them.
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Jay would hopefully be choosing her own today.
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Jon's words surprised Jay. She looked up at him as they stopped in front of a large metal sliding door separating the section from the rest. He smiled back at her.
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"It's highly sought after because it pays well and you are able to establish connections easily compared to other positions such as presidency." Jon pulled the door open. "But what many don't realize is just how hard it can be to become one."
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Jay could guess what he was talking about. Training would no doubt be difficult. You needed to be agile, strong, and flexible. There was also the ability to take a life. If you could not do it, you could not become an assassin. Not everyone had what it took. Then there was the survival skills needed in case you were stuck taking a difficult job.
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No doubt some would be stranded due to jobs gone wrong. If you did not know how to adapt to the situation with the proper survival skills, you would perish.
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"Many have tried to join us, many have failed. Some stick with the brotherhood and work simpler jobs such as being an informant or even a stable boy like Tom and Blue." Jon looked at Jay as they stopped in front of a stall.
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"I see potential in you. It's going to be fun teaching you. I have the feeling you'll be one of the greatest assassins ever seen in our long history." Jon opened the stall door.
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Jay was a bit curious about what Jon had said. Somehow she felt she had learned information that foreshadowed a complicated life that she was in no way eager to live. She followed him into the stall, a chill shooting through her.
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Inside, a beautiful black Arabian stallion was nosing through a trough. He stomped his hoof as his ears flicked back. He took a mouthful of whatever hard food was in the trough and looked over at them.
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A loud crunch could be heard as he chewed. He snorted before going back to the food. He flicked his tail. Jon chuckled.
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"This is our newest addition. Like you, he came from a bad place but he has made a great recovery. The only problem is that he is very aggressive to anyone who tries to ride him or bond with him. Well, except me. Perhaps you'll be the one he bonds with."
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Jon walked up to the stallion and let out a low whistle, letting him know who it was that approached, before gently patting his side. The stallion let out a soft nicker while he continued to munch down on what Jon could see were apple treats.
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"Looks like someone enticed him with some treats," Jon laughed. "No wonder he is so calm today."
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The stallion finished the last little bit before finally turning halfway to face Jay. He observed her while Jon pet his face. Jon motioned for Jay to step forward slowly. She eased her way up to the horse, awed and trying her hardest to stay calm.
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What Jon had said worried her. If he was so aggressive, then no doubt he would reject her. She swallowed. She held out a hand slowly and the stallion sniffed her hand before tossing his head. He began stomping his hooves and neighing loudly.
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She flinched and quickly moved away. Jon began speaking gently, trying to calm him down. The stallion moved away from Jon and towards Jay. She moved out of the stall quickly, making sure to not turn her back to him.
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The horse continued walking towards her, quickly calming down as he followed her around the open space between the lines of stalls. They went in a circle, Jon watching closely, ready to grab his mane if need be.
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No matter what direction Jay walked, the horse followed closely. His ears were pricked and he kept reaching out. She finally stopped, getting a bit dizzy from walking in circles so much. She froze and tensed up when he reached out again. Instead of biting her like she feared, he simply touched his muzzle to her cheek.
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She flinched when what felt like a jolt of electricity shot through her body the second his muzzle touched her. A flurry of emotions struck her like water crashing over a wall in a massive wave. She stood there, completely frozen. Her eyes were wide as the emotions subsided and thoughts poured into her mind.
Images of places and people she had never seen or met mixed with words she could barely make out. Then all of it stopped as suddenly as it had occurred. She was trembling as she realized there was still a strange sensation that she had no words to describe. But yet she could understand it. It was telling her to pet the horse.
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She slowly reached up and, after a brief hesitation, placed her hand on his cheek. The sensation turned into what felt like happiness and understanding.
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Jon's voice startled her. "You have bonded."
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"Huh?" was all she could muster out.
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"Bonding is such a bizarre and unique experience, is it not?" Jon had a big smile on his face and was leaning against the wall as he gazed at her. "I knew you were special. Bonding with him is a feat of its own."
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Still confused as to what exactly happened, all Jay could do was nod.
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"I would explain but something tells me you wouldn't believe me even after that," Jon said mysteriously.
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His words made her think of Kyle. Again, she had a feeling there was a lot more to everything than what she was actually seeing.
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