Skymane

Skymane, the Destrier No One Tames

Temperament

He is a destrier, born for the sky more than the ground, and nothing in him will take a harness. No one tames a Skymane; you respect him, or you lose him. He scents a trap before you do and flees without shame, for with him flight is a judgment. Bind him once, and he gives everything, without ever ceasing to be free.

Handling him

You walk beside him. He carries you to heights where a single kick would kill you, and up there trust is the rope that holds you. Treat him as a companion, never a mount, and it is he who decides how far the two of you go.

Rewards

His reward is to leave. Let him. He returns when he decides, or he does not. Each return is a choice, and it is worth more than any tether. One day, perhaps, he will accept the saddle, then the caparison. You do not demand it. You wait for it, and sometimes you tremble.

At the table

Clever and feeling, he reads his rider better than words. He listens when he pleases and plays deaf the rest of the time. And when the one on watch falls asleep, it is he who keeps the vigil unasked, a still shape between the fire and the dark, until morning.