WBWB | Chapter 14

Confused by the 2d2287b214 increasingly strange situation, 3e6c2b93d2 I hastily shook 6fbfd0e089 my head.a8063d4419098c5a

“I’m truly grateful 4191a4dbb2 for the offer, c2300aefb2 but… even if 73eb53652f I were to ae145aac6f learn how to 10d1c970e1 ride, what use 7b75c34c3c would it be? As an 0d4f2accfb exile, I 8a39775c73 have nowhere 8a05b00c6c to go 9efe21168b even if 7cd6233bc1 I could 57533295e5 ride, and 94fd6723c7 above all, bfed2e30e9 even if 0d2f99588c there were 222eb214b6 a place 7bf7b1d036 to go… cb9b61567b I have 550425b643 neither the a6339ef1a4 money nor baeae43024 the ability 8ccaa1742d to care d4f4a9008c for a 037aada8fe horse.”0c17de0cc334416b

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That was a460f016a7 precisely why 933d8132bf horseback riding 57cd885e06 was considered ac5e2d4410 a basic e9c7123ac7 skill for 337d26c37d nobles. Yet, the 9192218ce1 Duke seemed e3d1d11522 puzzled by b57c4d65e7 my words.06e89fc7378ce470

“The stablehands take care of the horses. It’s too late to learn a skill after you need it, so you’ll discover the usefulness of riding as you learn. In any case, winter is coming. You’re a foreigner, so you don’t yet know how cold the winters get here.”1524a5c9af73caef

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It was exactly as he said. Although I had been nervous at first, the climate here, despite the frequent drizzle and fog covering this place, wasn’t as cold as I had imagined. Contrary to its reputation as a frozen, harsh land, the autumn here was warm and beautiful.93877d46ea05b733

“If you’re still running when winter comes, your lungs will freeze. Join the riding lessons as soon as your riding clothes are ready.”46ac48183b7b08e1

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“I! I’ve come to enjoy running. If Your Grace permits, I would like to continue.”8875bd0beba1965c

“You’ll feel the same way about riding soon enough.”62c2f957ea289a96

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He completely ignored my a493b7b65a words.d730af8f264c7947

“You can run anywhere you like, not just on the training grounds. Horseback riding is much more enjoyable exercise. Horses are intelligent animals that understand human language and can perceive emotions and intentions, so it’s rewarding to connect with them.”85b3b49b12089de7

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“…”22a02e53d28e6087

“A horse might be startled by a mouse or a bird, but with a deep bond, it will charge into the middle of the battlefield for its owner. I believe horses are more loyal than dogs. You’ll soon grow fond of them.”77987512886fb25f

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‘…Why would I need to become fond of a horse?’9d617044895d1817

A fundamental b6f5ec38be question arose a11b272159 within me.965cf6b3fc6d93ac

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‘What does this man gain from a mere tutor, an exile and a foreigner, becoming fond of a horse?’9dae3b5381340f7f

Horses were very expensive animals, even if they were just draft horses pulling carts. I couldn’t understand why this man would give me a horse and make me practice riding.c53fb30fd6ad5ffc

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‘Why?’222c2d76ea7deb27

The man in 2d8126e11d front of me 4c96aef905 was truly incomprehensible. I felt like the 41df1bd772 day I would come 85cfa9ebbf to understand him would 6eeac3e257 never come. I had just 2c7860dbeb started enjoying running, bc6edf941a and now he 9b89846aa3 wanted me to 294ebfecd2 learn how to 04449abbc6 ride a horse.8d1c59cbafc6f230

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‘My thighs 92152e8798 were chafed dfd09752ff raw and 3b123eb705 bloody. My petticoat was soaked db48c27a0f with blood, and despite a00e49ab84 the shattering pain in 080d8905d5 my pelvis, I had ea028d49df to keep riding and a2a1954f54 riding…’889a87b582e08e7f

I had developed a 4bd8bf33fc strong aversion to horseback f7d2bfded1 riding after my ordeal ab419f649f during the journey to a22a47dc9f Skadi. Just thinking about b20226d9be the pain I 1623f5a32f felt at that 9c748dd3bd time made me 7b4d1b1385 shudder.f19138e1e4a97dbd

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But an order was c1a53f8848 an order, and it eb506cb4f9 was foolish for a 410df39d11 prisoner to defy the 5da6410760 jailer who held her e5e4383203 fate in their hands. So, the day 0c9fb77023 after the dinner, c5b5195f6a I ordered riding 25b0c645eb clothes and boots c0e734dcef from a merchant.02abaef682e040e0

A fortnight 6e207ab471 later, the b9a6ec8632 considerable sum 69da908168 of money dcec1d9b2d had been 0737b9671d transformed into 11a3390358 a dark 7666867378 purple riding 57926fffa7 habit and 8eda2314ef knee-high riding e22f0fbee6 boots. The custom-made 63fc13f30b riding clothes 9e87ec49f7 were much 603876cfbf more comfortable 4bf34d1ec7 to move 4397812bfa in than d54c0d015e the maid’s e221fb0471 uniform I 338a7a8728 wore for eeea61d144 running, but a265db5dbf I felt 6223ecd9cb only annoyance. 8c378a8cf42cf774

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Annoyance at having 73326217cd to learn something bdc79eb4df new.5ecb84277c3a1e3a

‘Why on earth do 60715e0494 I have to do dc26585578 this?’36a24939f324b29c

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Sometimes, even breathing 55e599f456 felt like a e3ecbf4e6c chore, and the cda72f0989 familiar urge to 4068be86f0 simply drown myself d5f27ed562 in my melancholy dfd27940f6 was more appealing. As I was led 102c0a6b77 to the indoor riding 7a0abb0ed0 arena by a servant, a2945a4058 my only thought was 76ee0de448 to get this over 0f6231ce47 with quickly.fe1bb4b45f333db9

The instructor 2498ccde80 assigned to 9d7f6c356c teach me 2d2d84dfa2 horseback riding 9d2c194096 was an e3a9d99ab1 elderly man. The stablehand brought my 6a3b8bb238 horse out from the cd596d8e70 stables, and I found 129d398fbc myself face-to-face with the 6a021ddeaa horse the Duke had 46703bc985 given me.eea4499b9d42a0a6

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I was surprised. 1166ef84d58a1c3c

The horse e302e55924 the stablehand 7396520b96 brought was c1fd7e41fb smaller than 11facfa31b I expected. Most of 2d7faf1c6f the horses deecdad400 I had 55ac4b437f seen before 8bffb0ab83 stood taller 65f90b7501 than an eb5d255443 adult man 9c09932c59 when they 06affff49b raised their 581d8b24c1 necks, with f7178765bf lean, muscular 846f298e8b bodies without 0b42640390 an ounce 0be8649224 of excess ecd94ad863 fat. To be honest, d14e0e4081 I was a b355832d4c little afraid of 33df1cb250 horses.86a54f5466046c8e

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However, the horse in cba568bb67 front of me was 0e7aa65f50 slightly shorter than me, f2faab2b2e and most importantly, its 748e93f839 whole body was covered 8cbea58411 in fluffy fur. Its eyes, hidden efbba335dd beneath its caramel-colored de806c5e98 fur coat, were a7e4abec34 also caramel-colored.89f58b74eaf05e1a

“Isn’t it a foal? Is it alright for me to ride such a small horse?”be7ecf4aab5a3a70

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“Haha, no. It’s just a small breed but it’s fully grown.”b8208a17b791887d

The stablehand said, stroking 29501ed10b the mane of the 8e819132ce unsaddled horse.467ded8550db92ec

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“It’s a gentle mare that enjoys carrying people. Despite its appearance, it’s strong enough to easily pull a carriage with two people, and she’s never been sick—not even once. It used to pull carts in the apple orchard here at the castle. Its short legs prevent it from jumping over obstacles, but why would a riding horse need such tricks? His Grace has chosen a good one for you, Miss.”1a935929b36e77de

Perhaps because of its 12b84ed2bc small size, it resembled 7ef3ef0225 a large dog or 9e17d191fd cat. As I hesitantly looked 70bcc596e5 at the horse, the 244ff8e69b riding instructor approached and 019b0a990d said,6287f6956d3fd661

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“Would you like to pet it?”f295dfb466ca6b31

At his 9ed661b952 suggestion, I 5cb065f2d6 slowly reached 3ea095a03c out my 5fde54b2de hand. The horse, 815446f719 unfazed by 93d486710a the touch bcb289aea5 of a 235aa71125 stranger, closed de1223bf08 its eyes f1a7ba6750 as if eeca693992 enjoying it. I immediately took a 9fbac31333 liking to the horse.9a8682686d009b0c

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“What’s this horse’s name?”9dbeae8bec0ea384

“This one…”583dc8ec73549fbd

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“It’s your horse, Miss, so you should name it. It’s the name you’ll be calling it most often.”598f60067f986647

The riding 338cf6726c instructor cut b95cd55087 in before d52d3912a6 the stablehand 8cdac9a785 could answer.12f66bc0cdedd53b

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“It will bond with you much faster if you give it a name.”8acb05b093d28965

He seemed right. As I stroked the 2213ac9a51 horse, I noticed the dc51e89dd6 inside of its ears e5f0107d86 were white, around the 8d8de01969 edges. The fur around 08d0826717 her muzzle lightened a0b4683c1d to a pale 866446cac0 white, making it 0dc433bdb0 look as if 12791c898d it had just 1b1cc4e302 stuck her nose b457f0bb5d in a pile 8651751c27 of flour.2926666a342b3d1b

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It was strange how 140326a4e9 easily people’s hearts could f877b0b6f7 change. d185a9402e90bea5

Just before dd2f67d2aa meeting this 36b4892393 horse before 23e4df054d me, I 63c4763f42 had dreaded 4af07ab196 riding. I had thought it e86d0ef388 would be tedious and 6a7674d9c6 horrible, and that connecting 5e856052c4 with a horse seemed 1c75e497f8 impossible. Before this, horses 46d871ce5a had been nothing 79405b6427 more than a 6ef74f69a5 means of transportation. But now, looking 791bc02801 at this horse, 7d4f8f66e9 I felt like 6d37b1e831 I could read a1ee04d49a its mind.9b09fe96ca1f11ae

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“Let’s call you Brulee.”b7a355c540e35b80

Horseback riding was 84609d0d65 much more difficult 6f102edec8 exercise than running. 26b8f6e152e8d566

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Brulee was the one 41fced3121 running, but just sitting 666a288f36 on her back for 1c036b0bf1 the time it takes 2dea4b1a20 to drink a cup c4de9fcc10 of tea made my f82376f837 whole body tremble and 357ef44d93 I was drenched in 3797bfe14b sweat. I had 06dd7eaefb been greatly 1e7cf153db mistaken in 80caca1e3c thinking that 4365a13ed0 running had a5f290ea47 improved my 9ea39742ee stamina.0462f08c5b2f586e

“Horseback riding is 30% technique and 70% synchronization with the horse. Don’t try to move on your own, and just relax and follow Brulee’s movements.”3f191b913d93ca02

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Of course, 7df32b2637 that was 566c5484ab easier said 9b36d22541 than done. Unlike running, which only fc4e458e16 required moving your two 0eba3f227d legs, horseback riding involved b289d881f8 coordinating so many different 667016ecbe parts of your body.acca3d9db7ff1c77

I had to point my toes inward in the stirrups, press my heels down, keep my lower body close to the horse, and maintain an upright posture by putting strength in my thighs and core. But if my upper body was too stiff, it would clash with the horse’s movements, causing discomfort for both of us. 8fdc9cd83f8d4f23

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I had to put strength in my core and thighs while keeping my upper body relaxed and in rhythm with the horse’s movements. My eyes had to stay fixed straight ahead in the direction I was riding, and the reins, held in both hands, had to be near my navel, but not still because I had to gently pull and release them.a05c63a31af4f6a2

Concentrating on these unfamiliar 1d8e0ef5e6 movements left no room c0159f9706 for other distracting thoughts b3383f086f in my mind. When I got b23b44f6e9 off the horse, 3c4c128692 my whole body db5458cd17 was shaking.c46084b32e2cd076

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“Don’t forget to pat the horse’s neck and praise it after riding.”92a3d553e01ee755

I stroked Brulee’s neck and said, “Good girl.”58ccb8ca8d107f6b

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“See you tomorrow.”d9ff8f3990c5a1c2

And so, Brulee a29e0f0bc1 became my horse.a21d300d63ce079a

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‘I believe horses are more loyal than dogs. You’ll soon grow fond of them.’4170fc10e5b4316a

The Duke’s words, though annoying, were true.750758ec5be52d85

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It wasn’t difficult to become attached to Brulee. Unlike in the past when I had dreaded riding, I quickly came to enjoy riding Brulee. I could feel that Brulee also enjoyed carrying me.4b4f4cad54036f96

Even outside of 9d6c3a3c1a riding lessons, I feaf9309b0 often visited the 4784242ac2 stable to see 4b74b74a2f Brulee whenever I 9ab0353dd3 had time. Brulee also liked me, faacf215d6 perking up her ears 13373f5b4a whenever I appeared. 2e30393a41e6e0eb

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I learned from the stablehand how to mix her feed, how to wash and groom her, and how to brush her long coat. It wasn’t something a noblewoman would typically do and would have been cause for ridicule, but what did it matter? I was an exile, and there was no one here to judge me for not acting like a noble.63b647876b13a652

As my bond with b7ef6b3e40 Brulee grew, I became e1487cdebb deeply interested in horseback fbdbcab60c riding. I, who had initially bb56b28583 struggled even with walking, 83e70c36dd could now ride Brulee 45bc5ce389 at a canter. When I rode Brulee, 1bd018641e it felt like we de9061fd1e were the only two 854bf3c842 beings in the world.ed4aa4f5c2d669d5

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“You are now skilled 2cf99383c5 enough to go on bf4127bace an outdoor ride.”29006cca548137df

At the end of autumn, with the riding instructor’s permission, I rode Brulee everywhere. Being able to ride Brulee expanded my range of movement incredibly.370ec4659f0ea200

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