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Unlike his friend, Jack had no concerns about the stable hands. Even if he had, he doubted that news of a missing saddle would make it all the way up the hierarchy to the Lord himself. Especially since it would be back within a few hours, at any rate. Of course, even if the hands were present, he would have no problems ordering them about. What would it matter to them if the young master and his friend absconded with a saddle and not a horse? The would probably chalk it up to just another strange quirk of the upper class.

As it happened, the stable hands were not present. Jack did take a look at Ambassador's saddle as well as Sunday's, but neither seemed to satisfy him. He muttered under his breath as he raided the tack room, dismissing this one and that before finding what he was looking for.

"Try this," he said as he handed Jordun the smallest bareback saddle he could find. "She does not really need a full saddle yet, and anyway, you would need to get one made for her."

He knew without bothering to try that horses and Guardians were so radically different in facial structure that a horse's halter would never fit. They would have to come up with a alternate solution for that, as well, if Jordun wanted something to hold on to.

Jack waved Astrophel over and mounted easily, turning about so they could watch their counterparts. The buck may be playful and mischievous, but he also knew how to be serious...well, when he wanted to be. In whatever manner it was that Guardians communicated with each other, Astrophel seemed intent on giving commentary on every little thing that his sister was doing. Somehow, Jack doubted that this was going to help matters.

"Enough of that, you," he said, nudging the buck gently with his knee. In return, Astrophel looked over his shoulder at his Chosen, pretending innocence. Jack shook his head. Incorrigible beast.

"Go on, then," he told Jordun. "No use delaying the inevitable."

In turn, Astrophel seemed to be laughing at her, daring her to become as fine a steed as he was - because clearly there was no one better than he. Jack gave an ungentlemanly snort at that sentiment. "Boast all you like, but you and I both know how hopeless you were when you first started." In truth, he had not been quite that terrible, but the buck's attention span had been nearly nonexistent and he kept trying to run before he had even learned to walk, so to speak.

Then, Jack grinned at his friend. "If I can learn to write a poem, you can learn to ride a Guardian," he said. He checked the length of the stirrups and the fit of the saddle and deemed them acceptable until they had a proper saddle made for Idriss.

"You shall have to teach her the signals for changing speed and turning," he informed Jordun. "At least until the pair of you can work together well enough to be able to communicate without them. Ideally, your bond will be strong enough that you will think as one entity in times of need. There will be no conscious effort involved. It will be like breathing. For now, however, shall we start with the basics? Walking and turning. We can go to the meadow so as not to be interrupted."

Jack pouted, feigning hurt. "I think I can manage at least a modest poem. Surely my sonnets would not drive a woman to tears," he protested, well aware that his sorry excuse for poetry was likely laughable at best, and probably pitiable by most. Not that it really bothered him. Great writer he was not, but at least he was a likable enough fellow to socialize easily. A lady would surely forgive his lack of writerly capabilities. Of course, the idea that poetry was useful for anything other than wooing a lady never crossed his mind.

"Quite like," he agreed, taking care to stay apace of his friend if not a couple of steps behind him to keep an eye on the pair of them better. Though the real training would start in the meadow, there was no time like the present to begin. He grinned.

"Relax, would you! There are no wolves at your heels yet." It was an unfortunate reminder of the main purpose of this exercise, but he chose not to let it bother him overly much. Not right now. There would be plenty of time to fret about it once he was back with his unit and had all the news. His orders would also be most telling.

For now, he just wanted to make sure Jordun and his Guardian had a chance to escape at the very least should wolves come calling at his door.

Jack chuckled appreciatively. Joke or no, the idea actually had a certain degree of merit. Driss could not actually attack the dogs, of course, but the canines surely moved much like wolves would. If the pair of them could outrun and outmaneuver the dogs, they might actually have a chance. Still, "I think we can save that until after you two can work together more naturally."

Really, poor Driss looked as though she were afraid that her chosen would fall off at any second. It rather reminded him of a young girl with a full glass of water balanced on her head. One wrong move and she would be soaked. Terribly embarrassing.

Before too much longer, they had arrived in the clearing and Jack took a position in the center. "May as well walk the circle first," he said. "Get used to each other. Then we can work on changing directions and work our way up to faster speeds."

While the pair of them were working on their circle, Jack and Astrophel took a quick jog through the surrounding woods and mapped out a course - after Jack was certain that his friend was doing fine with his circle, of course. Soon enough, he returned.

"See? Not half so difficult as sitting a horse, is it?" he teased. Surely riding a Guardian would not be too difficult for a Chosen, even one whose equestrian skills were not the strongest. It would be rather counterproductive if that were the case. What use, a Guardian who could not ride? Driss would take care of his friend, as Jordun would learn to look after her.

"Why don't you try your paces?" he suggested. Walking was well enough for some things, but a walking Guardian would not outpace a wolf.

"It all amounts to the same thing," he dismissed. Sit, ride, Jordun was less likely to fall off of the doe than a horse and that was what mattered. Cheeky blighter.

Still, he was pleased with what he was seeing. Idriss was taking these far more seriously than he could have hoped. Perhaps it was simply because she was so happy that her chosen was riding her at all, or perhaps it was because she was much older than Astrophel when he first started his lessons. Not that either of them were blessed with an abundance of maturity even now, but that was besides the point. They still could be mature, and they understood things better than when they were but yearlings.

His lips twitched. "You look like a sack of potatoes," he called. "Don't just sit on her, move with her!"

Astrophel snorted as though to say that prancing in a circle was well and good, but she had yet to demonstrate any real skill.

"She's doing splendidly," Jack agreed, nudging his own Guardian before he could instigate Idriss into doing something that Jordun was not yet ready for. For whatever the reason, the buck seemed most intent on goading his sister. It could hardly end well.

"In fact," he continued, hoping to distract the doe. "Why don't you try the trail I marked? Plenty of twists and turns. Just follow the ribbon." He had tied bits here and there on the trees and bushes, though the trail they had left in the snow ought to be easy enough to follow all on its own. This way, however, the trail could be used again, even if it snowed between now and then.