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[h1]Horsing Around[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/gytbQDB.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/ZlwfLAL.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/2nEAwNp.png[/img]
[h2][color=00a99d]Amelie[/color] | [color 5a7c86]Wren[/color] | [color=goldenrod]Yulia[/color][/h2]
[sub]A Collab by [@banjoanjo] [@Baklava] and [@Lasrever][/sub][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]𝓝𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝟖𝓽𝓱, 𝟏𝟑𝟐𝟕   / /   𝓐𝓾𝓼𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓭   / /   𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓪𝓷'𝓼 𝓔𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓮   / /  𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰[/color][/center][hr]

[hider=Horsey Horse Neigh Neigh, Wheeeeeee]
Amelie eyed the stable horses warily, as concerned with them this morning as she had been the day before.

They were formidable creatures for sure. Special, with how out of reach they seemed. Outside of the travelling caravans that would pass through their village, the noble beasts were a rare sight. The churchmen had been a notable exception.

Amelie guessed that the horse's back was about as tall as her brow. That didn't seem like a good thing. She'd warned Wren about being trampled for a reason. Nonetheless, the brunette was determined not to fall behind, not while there was a noble in the near vicinity. Her shoulders squared themselves, and she willed her expression to remain still.

It wasn't so different from the one Wren wore, face neutral even while bullets of sweat gathered at the back of her neck. She didn't want to [i]touch[/i] the horses, let alone [i]ride[/i] them. She had to draw the line somewhere, didn't she? 

Wren continued staring at the massive animals as she relayed a voiceless message to her compatriot, [color=5a7c86][i]"M'not doing this."[/i][/color]

As far as riding went, Yulia had no cause for concern; considering who she worked for, she'd been taught some time ago. Unworried by the upcoming lessons, she'd wasted no time in mounting her horse and taking the opportunity to properly look over the other pairs. They seemed... [i]interesting[/i], to put it charitably. Her gaze paused on the nearest two, the brown-haired girl and her dirt-covered companion.

The efforts to conceal their unease were admirable, but a neutral expression did little to hide how tense someone was, and she felt fairly certain of their discomfort. Not experienced riders, by her estimation, which made one pair; she'd have to wait and see how well the twins were faring, as well. She'd been fairly distant towards her partner, oddly enough; but in contrast the smile on her face was warm, all friendly concern - mixed with a little amusement - as she waited for the other pairs to get ready. [color=goldenrod]"You'll get used to them faster than you expect, for what it's worth."[/color]

Oof. Were their nerves that obvious? Either way, she accepted the encouragement gratefully.

[color=00a99d]"Thank you, miss,"[/color] Amelie bowed her head before turning to Wren. She placed her shaking hand on the seat of the saddle, summoning an encouraging smile. The horse huffed with the contact.

[color=00a99d][i]"See? It's not too bad. You don't even have to touch it!"[/i][/color]

Were they serious? They couldn't be serious, could they? Wren frowned in alarm, her expression more severe as she looked from Yulia to Amelie. 

[color=5a7c86][i]"No."[/i][/color]

[color=00a99d][i]"C'mon, just try putting your hand on one like how I'm doing. I heard that horses are really...f-friendly. And shy."[/i][/color]

A pause as Amelie willed her hand to stop shaking. It worked, sort of. She got an idea.

[color=00a99d]"You're not scared of the poor old horsie, are you?"[/color] she said out loud, making sure someone outside the pair would hear. Apologies could come later.

What?! Bristling with frustration, Wren's gaze darted to Yulia and the others for a moment before she quickly hissed a response, [color=5a7c86]"No, I am not [i]scared[/i] of it."[/color]

She scowled, suddenly becoming aware of her partner's game. 

[color=5a7c86]"It just--"[/color] Wren searched for the words, [color=5a7c86]"What's the point?"[/color]

[color=goldenrod]"The longer you take to get on the horse, the more time you'll have to spend with them; they won't let you skip the lesson."[/color] Yulia's expression was sympathetic, assuming the girl's partner had little reason to lie about her fears. [color=goldenrod]"As for usefulness, they can travel further than you, and faster, for longer. You'll need to ride, unless you think you can win a race with a horse."[/color]

Wren furrowed her brow, as if actually considering the possibility before providing a short nod. Either way, this seemed to be another one of those pesky 'requirements'. The list of which was growing longer and more horrible by the day. Next they'll be asking her sit in a tub of hot water. She sighed through her nose and looked back to Amelie, [color=5a7c86][i]"You first."[/i][/color]

Oh, gods.

Amelie continued grinning painfully. [color=00a99d][i]"No...problem...!"[/i][/color]

As the girl opened her mouth to ask the instructor for assistance, a loud "Phew! About time, eh?" rang out. Lysandra Aulmoore yawned, trotting lazily around on her own horse.

[color=00aeef]"Come on, man, help the poor soul out!"[/color]

The instructor scowled but did as he was told, pulling out a mounting block he'd prepared for the beginners. He had told them to mount from the midsection, grabbing the reins and front of the saddle with one hand while keeping the stirrup steady in the other. Amelie did exactly that. With a burst of energy in her leg, she pulled her upper body onto the steed. Only her upper body.

[color=00a99d]"Um..."[/color] Amelie shivered, the blatant lack of solid ground against her soles becoming very daunting. The instructor helped her get the other leg over. However the damage had been done. Amelie was seated now, but was bent forward as if attempting to maintain fetal position despite both feet trapped firmly in the stirrups. She didn't dare look up.

[color=00a99d]"...S-see?"[/color] she looked to Wren, trying to follow the instructor's exasperated plea to straighten her back, [color=00a99d]"N-n-nothing to it..."[/color]

Boy, did that sound convincing. Wren frowned, scratching the back of her neck. 

Alright. She was doing this. Adjusting her hat, cloak, and gloves, Wren bravely stepped towards her allotted steed. She eyed the horse warily as she took the reigns and side-stepped onto the block, prepared to react in case the animal made any sudden movements. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the tail flick and her head snapped towards it, lips pursing into a long, thin line. 

Damnit. She took a deep breath, slipped one foot into the stirrup and jumped, quickly swinging her free leg up between herself and the horse. The resulting position left her gripping the horn and and some stray strap on the saddle while her knee pushed against her nose. She flexed her foot in the stirrup to little avail. Gods, why was this dumb thing so big?

Not wanting to be interfered with as Amelie had been, Wren grit her teeth and flailed until she finally managed to pull herself the rest of the way up. [i]All[/i] the way up. All that tree climbing was paying off. Crouched with both feet planted in the seat, Wren cautiously gripped the saddle, choosing a position that would allow her to bail quickly should she need to.

The smallest trace of a satisfied smile pulled at her lips as she stared at the horse beneath her. She'd done it! 

[color=00a99d]"...That doesn't look--nngh!"[/color] Amelie collapsed back into her crouched position, the will to push herself upright lost when the horse shifted below her.

Yulia had been finding a little more entertainment from the pair's struggle than she should have, but that changed as the smaller one leaped onto the saddle. Mentally preparing herself to rush over when this went horribly wrong, she stared at the girl in genuine bewilderment. [color=goldenrod]"S-sit [i]down[/i]! You'll fall!"[/color]

[color=5a7c86]"Hm?"[/color] Wren glanced at the the woman with an offended frown. [i]Her?[/i] Fall? Not a chance. And she wasn't about to start hugging the [i]horse[/i] for dear life. Besides, this way seemed better. She felt much more in control. Choosing to ignore the advice, Wren reached for the reins. Now how was she supposed to get this thing going again? 

[color=00aeef]"Oooh. Impressive, but that won't do, little girl,"[/color] Aulmoore shrugged. She seemed disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see someone ride standing up, [color=00aeef]"If you want to get her to move, you need to squeeze her with both legs. Sitting."[/color]

Wren glowered. Who the hell was she calling little girl? Urgh. And what did she mean by [i]'squeeze'[/i]? She didn't want to think about having to wrap her legs around the creature. Thinking for a moment, Wren lowered her torso closer to the horse, reaching her arms out on either side. Maybe she could imitate it? 

Temporarily dropping to one knee, Wren firmly clapped her hands on either side of the horse. Squeezing quickly shifted into scratching as the horse's body lurched forward. Her fingers dug into the side of the saddle as her balance entirely abadoned her. It was moving too much! She couldn't grab on! 

Sucking air through her teeth in place of a scream, Wren unexpectedly began to slide right off the side of the horse. "Oof!" she attempted a one legged jump to get away, covering her head and rolling as she hit the ground. Thankfully the horse stepped over her and soon came to a stop, leaving the stubborn hermit curled up in a small cloud of dust.

Watching the girl topple, Yulia couldn’t feel too sympathetic, a muttered [color=goldenrod]“told you so,”[/color] accompanying her own – far more deliberate – dismount. With a frown, she looked over to the crumpled heap on the floor, concern creeping in. At least the horse hadn’t trampled her, or there'd be far more to worry about. [color=goldenrod]“Are you hurt?”[/color]

Wren laid there in defeat for a moment, reflecting on the events which had brought her there. Yes, it seemed horse riding was an activity best done seated after all. It was a mistake not to listen-- just as much as it was a mistake to come here. At the nearing voice, Wren pushed herself onto all fours, indignantly glancing up at Yulia for a moment before sighing. [color=5a7c86]"Yes,"[/color] she responded, a little dustier than before, but overall fine save for a red scrape on her cheek. Her layers of dingy clothing had at least accomplished that much. She quickly stood, not bothering to brush off the dirt as she straightened her hat and cloak. She frowned at several of the petals and leaves left behind on the ground, quickly picking up one particular twig of rosemary which was still in tact. 

Yulia looked at the scrape, appearing to contemplate something for a couple of seconds before nodding to herself. Usually, she’d save her magic for something more dangerous, but she could handle riding a little tired, especially if it earned her some goodwill. Next time she’d bring some medical supplies. After a few seconds, the cut was healed, though Yulia noticeably winced upon the spell’s completion. Speaking loudly enough for the whole group to hear, she forced a slight smile.

[color=goldenrod]“Try not to fall too often. I’m happy to help with any injuries, but it’s a little more straining than I’d like.”[/color]

Meanwhile, Amelie had been doing her best to dismount; a rather hapless effort since the instructor had been too distracted by Wren's fall to help her down. She eventually got it. After finally freeing her foot from the stirrup, Amelie swung her leg over with what seemed like a bizarre, horizontal cartwheel, landing in a splits-esque position with one foot still in the remaining stirrup. 

[color=00a99d]"She's fallen from worse,"[/color] Amelie panted, winded from the sudden spike of panic and still reeling from the height of the horse, [color=00a99d]"But that was [i]way[/i] too close, Wren."[/color]

She turned to Yulia. [color=00a99d]"Thank you for your kindness. I hope it didn't tax you too much."[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“Well…”[/color] Yulia yawned, turning to head back towards her horse. It wasn’t an entirely pleasant experience, to say the least. The suddenness of the fatigue seemed to have taken her by surprise, but she waved off the concern with a small smile. [color=goldenrod]“It’s not so terrible. You never know, the practice might do me good.”[/color]

Wren rubbed at the smooth place on her cheek where the scrape once was, not fully comprehending who was responsible at first. She spent a good amount of time trying to find it. She hardly noticed Amelie when she spoke to her. 

When it seemed as though Yulia might be returning to her horse, Wren spoke up, [color=5a7c86]"How did you do that?"[/color]

Yulia paused, looking back at the girl with a smile. [color=goldenrod]“It’s magic, of course. One of you two should have your own, if I'm not mistaken. Mine heals.”[/color]

[color=00a99d]"Wren is the mage in our pair,"[/color] Amelie smiled, relieved. [color=00a99d]"It's really cool."[/color]

Wren pursed her lips. It was cool... but maybe not [i]that[/i] cool. Healing injuries immediately like that seemed like a pretty useful trick. At least her abilities could keep people from bothering her too badly. She chose not expand beyond a small shrug. 

[color=goldenrod]“Is that so? In that case, I’ll look forward to seeing it.”[/color] Yulia nodded towards Wren - seemingly respectfully - before looking over to their instructor and grimacing. As much as she’d have liked to ask for some more information now, they did have a lesson to continue after all. Her smile became apologetic as she stepped away. [color=goldenrod]“While I’d love to hear more from you both, maybe that should be saved for another time. I fear our teachers might be getting a little impatient.”[/color] With that, the servant departed, heading away to remount her horse.
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