A Wealth of Pleasures

[Liana Mars]

Liana was glad to find that Khalid did have a sense of humor, something that wasn't always assured amongst the rich and elite... Who seemed to specifically cultivate not laughing except to chuckle at the antics of the lesser folk. But that was boring, and Liana enjoyed making jokes... Occasionally. There was no need to overdo it, of course, that was just unseemly. But here or there, they were a nice touch.

She nodded in agreement with Khalid's words about the other students, “I couldn't agree more. Whoever is in the admission's office should seriously be checked up on. They advertise this place as an 'elite' academy,” her nose curled up at the words, so far from the truth, “And then ruin it by allowing scum in who probably wouldn't even be able to afford to actually have their own horse and compete. What a waste of teaching time.” Because honestly, if they rode school horses here, how were they ever going to go on to compete in the future, once they left? Not that they'd know what to do with a proper horse that could take them to such levels, but still.

She mirrored Khalid's actions, tossing the gelding's reins over Dyrim's head in a practiced motion, and then shrugged, “Maybe just the green hill trails? I don't think Dyrim or myself are in quite the right condition to be running along mountain trails right now, with all of the traveling.” And Khalid, with his especially long journey, was probably included in that. Sure, he could have slept on the plane, but how restful was that really?

After reaching the outside of the barn, Liana checked Dyrim's girth again and then boosted herself into the saddle, smirking as Khalid found a mounting block, “See? Ponies have their uses.” She glanced around, finally finding a signpost and setting Dyrim into motion, “I think the green hill trail is this way.”

Khalid Al-Kuwari

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

As the youngest son, Khalid wasn't destined to get involved with business or even run a branch himself. The oldest son, Muhammad, had an internship with Al-Kuwari Portocabin Group as an architect, and the second son, Ali, was studying finance and marketing with a job offer with Xpert Advertising. When the youngest son preferred horseback riding to business, the family was stunned. Growing up in the shadow of his older siblings, Khalid took a lighter and less serious approach to life. The pressure to get a real career goal only increased when Khalid's older sister was accepted into Qatar University's biomedical program.

"This place even offers introductory riding classes. This is a riding academy, so the expectation is that you know how to ride. That is a waste of money and resources that could go to training the next top champions."

In Qatar, the school horses Khalid rode were all former show horses and champions in their own right. They weren't necessarily Olympic caliber horses, but had done well at prestigious shows throughout the Gulf region. Given how many more shows existed in the United States and Europe, Khalid expected the show horses to have a proven record.

"That sounds fine with me. We'll have plenty of time to show off our skills later."

Khalid found a mounting block between the barn and the nearest arena and quickly hoisted himself into the saddle. He felt so tall on Nasr like no jump could ever look bigger than three foot. Ponies might have been easier to mount, but Khalid wasn't trading in Nasr for anything. Some day, they'd be competing in Olympic qualifiers as a team, and a pony just couldn't handle the grand prix courses.

"The start should be just past the barrel racing arena. Shall we?"

He kept Nasr at a steady walk along the trail. It felt great to be back in the saddle after a long flight and having to say goodbye to his trainer and Arabian.

"So, Liana, do you have any siblings?"

[Liana Mars]

Liana curled her nose at the mention of the beginner riding classes, “I'd almost managed to push that little fact out of my mind. In light of those classes, no wonder that the idiots who can at least sit on a horse properly are considered elite enough to ride here.” It was not a very high standard if 'elite' meant you could figure out the front of a horse, but better than no standard... Not by much, though.

Liana nodded as she heard that the arena should start behind the barrel racing arena... Of course. They had a separate arena for everything. At least she wouldn't have to deal with Jessamine, since that's what the girl had decided to compete in. She kept Dyrim to a walk, feeling the gelding just to make sure that nothing was amiss, but he seemed to have survived the transport as well as one would hope. Of course, the company had been paid to make sure that it was so.

As Khalid asked about siblings, Liana shook her head, “Nope. Just me.” She had been enough for her parents, and they had never wanted another... Not until Jessa had barged into their lives, that was. Neither in the biological sense or in the actual sense, since both her parents and the Smiths had stuck to only one child, “What about you?”

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Nasr felt a bit fresh. He walked quietly enough, but it was clear to Khalid that he would be willing to let off a bit of energy whenever asked. Khalid gave his horse a pat on the neck and a muttered apology about not picking up the pace. Statistically, a horse could cover more ground per stride than a pony, and Khalid didn't want to leave Liana in the dust.

"Five. Two older brothers, an older sister, and younger twin sisters. My older siblings are all studying to get respectable jobs. And the younger twins are eight."

The trail was rather nice and completely unchallenging. That was fine when working with a new horse or just wanting to relax and not pay attention, but it would be entirely too boring without a friend.

"This sounds weird, but I really like your name. It's different and modern sounding. My parents are extremely traditional and conservative. My brothers are named Muhammad and Ali, and my sisters are Nura, Fatima, and Aisha. It would be amazing to have a name that isn't so common."

It was tiring to hear people comment that they had a son or relative named Khalid or being asked if he knew that the main bad guy in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was named Khalid. He thought Khalifa would be a nice name that was a little bit different.

[Liana Mars]

Liana chuckled as she saw the interaction between boy and horse, although she could guess what was going on. Nasr probably did not like Dyrim's pace... Dyrim did not like Dyrim's pace either, but at least she had known that, and kept the pony at a walk.

As she heard how many siblings Khalid had, Liana raised her eyebrows, “That's a lot of siblings. What was that like, growing up?” Most of the people she knew who had that many siblings weren't exactly of her standing, where there were usually only two or three children at most, but Khalid's family probably had never wanted for anything, despite the size, “If you don't mind the question, of course. I'm sorry, it was very personal.” She was curious, but she wanted to give Khalid a way out, if he didn't want to talk about his family.

She glanced around at the trail they were riding on, about as flat as it could be, with a broad path that lent itself well to riding with a buddy. Not too many trees, either, although Liana could see a bit of a wood further along that they would probably hit before too long. As Khalid spoke again, Liana blinked listening to the names of his siblings. They seemed different to her, although of course, they were foreign. Apparently they weren't too unique in Qatar, “Thank you.” She considered the names he'd mentioned, trying to remember all of them, “Khalid is a nice name too. I hadn't heard it before, although I imagine it being more common in Doha than what I would come across here.” She paused, then asked, “Does Nasr translate to anything from Arabic, or is it just a name?”

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Arabs tended to be friendly people, if not a little bit too nosy. Khalid was fairly used to having relative strangers ask him who he was going to marry, and aunties were always ready to toss some eligible girl in his direction. Most people inquired around family, and it was considered rude to ask about female family members directly.

"Being the youngest is nice and I got a lot of attention from my parents until Fatima and Aisha were born. Now, I just live in the shadow of my more successful older siblings. Muhammad and Ali will both get important jobs in one of the family companies, and Nura wants to be a doctor. If you think my family is big, His Highness Sheikh Tamim has eight children, and his father, High Highness Sheikh Hamad has twenty-four. It's not too hard to avoid my siblings and mother if I need space. There are plenty of aunts, uncles, and cousins to spend time with. Sometimes I'll just spend the night at a relative's home."

It was impossible to ever give a short answer. Few things in life were simple, and Khalid didn't mind explaining things to interested foreigners. Families in particular held a special place of importance. For Khalid, his cousins were friends. One older cousin taught him how to hunt with a falcon, another was quite the car afficiando and loved going to car shows, and the aunts always cooked the best food. There was always someone around to give a ride or just provide company during the long summer days.

"Both. It means victory, but it can also be used as a name. Then there's another name, Nasir, which is spelled a little differently, that means one who gives victory. One of the Abbasid Caliphs is Al-Nasir and a king of Iran had the name Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar. I've seen it used as a last name once or twice, but I can't remember anyone right now. Al means the. Khalid means eternal and is the name of one of Muhammad's (ṣallā llāhu ʿalay-hi wa-sallam) best generals, Khalid ibn Al-Walid (radiallahu 'anhu). How about Dyrim? Does that mean anything?"

Nasr shook his head a bit, clearly bored by just walking. For a couple sentences, he switched to Arabic to talk to his horse. Maybe they'd be able to trot a little bit, and Khalid promised a more mentally engaging ride later. The prospect of riding through a wooded area left the boy feeling slightly anxious. He was used to wide open spaces or skyscrapers. Forests weren't a desert quality.

[Liana Mars]

Liana listened with interest as Khalid talked about his family, although she would admit her jaw dropped just a bit at the information that the... Not king. What was the term? Anyway, he'd apparently had twenty-four children. Twenty-four! “That's a lot of kids.” She considered the rest, though, with a large family she could see that it'd be easy to get away, “I guess that's good. Lots of different people, at least you wouldn't get tired of the same relatives over and over.” Not that she saw her relatives a lot... Her father kept most of the family away, considering that they were also his work.

As Khalid talked about Nasr's name, Liana waved off the comment that it could be both. Yes, words tended to be used as names, especially for animals. But it was interesting that there were two that were so similar, only slightly different, and the context changed, “That's really interesting. He's aptly named, though, I'd assume, even without having seen him jump.” She stored the information about both Nasr's and Khalid's names, curious about the general that the boy had mentioned. Some basic sense of Islam told her who Muhammad was, so she didn't have to feel a complete dunce, but the rest were foreign to her.

“I looked up his name when I got him, and it's from a book. There's this set of bells that allow necromancers to do their work, and things, but anyway. Dyrim is one of the bells, the Speaker.” It had power over voice and muteness, even those who were dead. She patted the gelding's neck, “And Astarael, which is his registered name, is the Weeper.” The bell that sent everyone who heard it to their death, including the bearer... But that was just a fictional story. Although she had enjoyed it, now she took it to mean loss, for those who had the bad fortune to hear it in the show ring, “But it's all made up. I don't know if there's a proper meaning behind it other than that.”

As Khalid turned his attention to Nasr, Liana turned to look out at the trail ahead, which was relatively flat, and they still had quite a bit before the trees... If they ended up getting there at all, “If you want to trot Nasr, go ahead. I'm not going to let Dy run just yet, I don't want him to overdo it. I figured I'd head about to that bush,” she indicated one along the side of the trail, “So you can let him run as far as you want, and catch up again on the way back?” It was as best a compromise as she could come up with right now, since she could tell that Nasr was chafing to go and run.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Khalid loved his family and wouldn't trade them for the world. Sure, they were overbearing at times and sometimes he wanted to yell at someone to stop talking, but they were all there for one another. No matter what, a loving relative was always a text message away. Tribes still mattered a great deal, and being part of one of the influential tribes had its perks.

With good conformation and a strong pedigree, there was no doubt in his mind that Nasr would be a top jumper. Seeing his previous show record only cemented that fact. When Liana explained how she got her own horse's name, Khalid had to admit he was impressed. The paranormal aspect was a little weird, but it never occurred to him to turn to literature for names. As for show names, Nasr came with his registered name that couldn't be changed.

"It sounds like you put a lot of thought and research into his name."

He nodded in understanding when she pointed to the bush near the trail. Unlike Dyrim, Nasr arrived at the barn a little bit before Khalid but wasn't being ridden. He figured the stretch of trail util the trees would be enough for today.

"Okay, I'll catch up to you soon."

Khalid pressed Nasr forward into a trot. The steady rhythm felt great, and the gelding was happy to stay on the bit. It was easy to feel the impulsion from behind, and Nasr responded well to a driving seat. They trotted down to the start of the line of trees and halted. The gelding transitioned smoothly and halted square. He asked for a half turn on the forehand, walked forward a few steps, and a full turn on the haunches. Khalid found dressage dull, but knowing lateral movements was helpful in the jumper ring. He could tell that Nasr's trainer took the time to give the gelding a solid dressage foundation.

He cantered back to Liana and Dyrim, thoroughly enjoying the smooth gait. It was easy to maintain impulsion and to keep the back engaged. Nasr understood collection and extension, though Khalid doubted he would need to ask his horse to extend an already massive stride. They slowed back to a walk, and Khalid gave Nasr his head. The gelding looked much more relaxed.

"The best thing about horses and ponies with great pedigrees is they always get the best trainers. In three or four years, Insh'allah, I can enter Nasr in some grand prix classes."

[Liana Mars]

Liana chuckled at Khalid's comment on Dyrim's name, “He came with it, actually. I just looked it up and then read the book that they came from afterwards because I saw no reason to change it if it was a good name.” Which she figured it was, it was at least relatively unique, so it would be fine.

As Khalid and Nasr took off, Liana held Dyrim back, although the pony would have loved to run after the larger warmblood without a second thought. No, Dyrim would get enough of a chance to run in the future, but for now she had to make sure that he would be sound to do so later.

Once she reached the bush, Liana had the pony circle around it, then started walking back, although she kept an ear out for the sound of Khalid returning, and when she heard the distinct beat of a canter, she moved over to give the boy space to ride alongside again. Nasr looked much happier for the run, and Liana nodded at Khalid's words, “He looked really good, from what I saw.” She hadn't caught a glimpse of his canter, but one could even see the horse's abilities from the rest that he had performed, “I'm sure I'll see your names on the TV at some point.” Since she was more interested in the hunter side of jumping, she wouldn't be competing against the duo, at least.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Well that was awkward. Admittedly, Khalid didn't pick out Nasr's show name either--Cosmopolitan. He never knew the original barn name, though it was probably something in German. Khalid hoped that in naming his horse 'victory', the gelding would take on the attributes of a victor. After all, people named their sons Mohammed in hopes that the child would grow up to be like the Prophet. He suspected his own parents gave him the name of a general with the idea that he would go on to be a great leader and defender of his beliefs. Apparently aspirations to be a professional athlete were not part of those plans.

"Wearing the maroon jacket of my country would be a huge honor. Jan Tops trains the jumping team in Holland, and training under him would be amazing."

It was impossible not to dream of some day standing on the podium at the Olympics with a gold medal and grinning before billions of people. Even hearing the announcer calling his name would be great. Then, his parents wouldn't be able to refute that their son did make a name for himself.

"So, I signed up for the hunter class, but I don't fully understand what it's about. I know it's not timed, but they're judging style? How does that work?"

Khalid could see the barns getting closer. He enjoyed Liana's company thoroughly, but he was a bit anxious to unwind some and sleep. He would definitely have to shower his father with praise for buying Nasr. The Holsteiner, even without jumping, was a dream horse.

[Liana Mars]

Liana nodded at how much of an honor representing one's country would be, “I can agree with that.” She didn't know if she ever wanted to get to that point, to where she eschewed all else, but it was a nice thought. No, perhaps she would really try to get involved with her family business. All riding just wasn't for her, although she loved the competitive aspect of it.

As Khalid asked about hunter classes, Liana chuckled, “Yes, they're judging style. Easiest short way to explain it is that it's the dressage of jumping.” She paused in her speech for a moment to focus on the curve of the trail, then resumed her explanation, “There's usually two over fence classes and one flat class per division. In over fences, you're supposed to make the course look pretty and smooth, focusing more on hitting every stride exactly right and the horse's bascule. In jumpers, you're just trying to complete the round as quickly as possible, without knocking anything over, but in hunters the whole emphasis is on looking good while jumping, even if you have a slightly slower ride.”

She could see the barns ahead, and knew that before too long they would be reaching them, “I'd offer to set up a course and let you see before classes start, but I don't know if I'll be jumping Dyrim to the levels we got to before Monday. Which of the hunter classes are you in? I'm in B.” The classes had gotten split, she knew, to allow for more one-on-one contact, teacher to student. The letters didn't mean much, because she'd already asked about that.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Khalid listened attentively as Liana explained hunters. It was definitely an American discipline, and the focus on style and accuracy was a little bit different than he was used to. He had no idea if his position was technically correct, but it worked well to get over the jump quickly and efficiently. His trainer emphasized intuition and feel within the accepted two point position. Stay balanced, get out of the horse's way, don't lose contact, and don't fall off.

"Not racing against the clock and looking pretty. Got it, I think."

He thought for a moment trying to remember his exact schedule.

"I'm in class B as well. You can show me how it's done in class."

Near the entrance to the White Oak Barn, Khalid dismounted, loosened the girth, ran up the stirrups, and pulled Nasr's reins over his head. He decided to turn the gelding out for a few hours to burn off some more energy. He led his horse inside and put him on the crossties to untack.

"I'm going to turn Nasr out for awhile so he can use up some energy. I'll see you in class if not before."