WBWB | Chapter 14

Confused by the 5e1d3d9498 increasingly strange situation, 4479a984a6 I hastily shook e17ff7a9fd my head.99dd54a90aba07a7

“I’m truly grateful b1d501ca80 for the offer, f1c3eec107 but… even if 5e1399db3e I were to 4e92bf3e8f learn how to 5258318e0a ride, what use d51127631e would it be? As an exile, 6619174905 I have nowhere 090b9f22fd to go even 5dd0df2b1b if I could a2fe61423a ride, and above d11f6d359c all, even if 62af616788 there were a 7499eed373 place to go… 4f92675938 I have neither f67af09514 the money nor 97e3aeaaf2 the ability to def6ab5272 care for a bbdabebfb3 horse.”5dd79d0d1bdd2883

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That was 544405b304 precisely why 05a9bfa9b5 horseback riding 125ca4cde9 was considered 02580df5f6 a basic 83c0b7f0ec skill for 9a54b86986 nobles. Yet, the Duke 265387b5b1 seemed puzzled by cae1fb5f64 my words.e67dcb266dec6d4b

“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.”ff9575b0e626e028

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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.585cfbf471635980

“If you’re still running when winter comes, your lungs will freeze. Join the riding lessons as soon as your riding clothes are ready.”b720da803ba3e1a6

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“I! I’ve come to enjoy running. If Your Grace permits, I would like to continue.”76ce832c8632b436

“You’ll feel the same way about riding soon enough.”03be207151e9142b

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He completely ignored ae60f3342a my words.23147864c398fa13

“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.”f25b20e8a76af56a

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“…”c7d643fa6ad02e50

“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.”7152e060f0eaa029

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‘…Why would I need to become fond of a horse?’e97dddd1b47c0be9

A fundamental question arose fe29d1ab29 within me.4b8ab061e71b6f3e

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‘What does this man gain from a mere tutor, an exile and a foreigner, becoming fond of a horse?’6956d1968c3169c1

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.9544e0fd9687bf71

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‘Why?’1d811608a436e64a

The man in 1d87c85f84 front of me df23347c4c was truly incomprehensible. I felt like the dea619f35e day I would come 599fde8b87 to understand him would febfd8013e never come. I had 74e03dca5e just started 0908304951 enjoying running, 8a7c556be4 and now 3a7d884451 he wanted 4dc4494ba1 me to 350850f01c learn how dd00eb7aea to ride 842779df67 a horse.8c6c303685d00673

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‘My thighs were chafed 4cd4336760 raw and bloody. My petticoat was soaked c194a895e0 with blood, and despite 663a9475ad the shattering pain in aa151869ec my pelvis, I had 00a8912e80 to keep riding and fcf8434c93 riding…’6062b77b19dceb2a

I had 429214d75f developed a a199bfe292 strong aversion 92a5118d0b to horseback 1d8f9f7706 riding after 8824b21c78 my ordeal 82739ecf2b during the 4a4d0b5164 journey to 8db13fb372 Skadi. Just thinking e611c05ee3 about the f981ef1663 pain I 0361709a9b felt at cb119c949f that time af054a014f made me 028a545b74 shudder.f03111298fbc2e7b

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But an order was 1bd129bb10 an order, and it 279d8ef8a4 was foolish for a 2c62d987a8 prisoner to defy the 7cfc35bef8 jailer who held her 153c59438f fate in their hands. So, the day after 0f2b86a148 the dinner, I ordered d932c963a8 riding clothes and boots 1897d0ee46 from a merchant.0f36df2e5cd1f728

A fortnight later, ad72fa1519 the considerable sum 90b9d45ed2 of money had ed17862f82 been transformed into 54c51f8a33 a dark purple f4e942d52a riding habit and ff1637b052 knee-high riding boots. The custom-made riding 965e5f0122 clothes were much 50c5dd7e57 more comfortable to 76c620315f move in than bb5f008b72 the maid’s uniform 9e891eaf0c I wore for 99e590bb0f running, but I df1e4a7810 felt only annoyance. f788c303886882ca

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Annoyance at having to f47004bacb learn something new.441357af2857176c

‘Why on 0c186b5bdc earth do 2de93ae42a I have 129a7d8f90 to do c63e868b28 this?’cd26124b01cd9811

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Sometimes, even breathing felt 791119a385 like a chore, and a0dbdbcc90 the familiar urge to c140997325 simply drown myself in f12b865f0b my melancholy was more 0fff6ab08d appealing. As I was d108987330 led to the 9e082404ad indoor riding arena 363d61db2d by a servant, e230947c60 my only thought 4eb7b41d1f was to get 8b8b08ec2b this over with 0c5306b2b1 quickly.5db1f7b4fbf98f3e

The instructor assigned ef066b057b to teach me c16e788134 horseback riding was a109b00b71 an elderly man. The stablehand brought 062d636203 my horse out 55a8ff2ebf from the stables, d51a88b091 and I found 16d5a0a462 myself face-to-face with c9e5d3cf1b the horse the 9b58e02069 Duke had given 5287be134e me.f0274ef53f2e8469

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I was surprised. 38dffb54d62a4319

The horse f617ee5a0d the stablehand 41714d8993 brought was 81f4399689 smaller than 99ec6d8454 I expected. Most of the horses 305b14fd82 I had seen before 9ef3d4b79f stood taller than an 2950000744 adult man when they b055e4c2ac raised their necks, with 09728452f9 lean, muscular bodies without 0d5219a8cd an ounce of excess 3dff41ba48 fat. To be honest, 641c2f513d I was a cb16a03662 little afraid of 6bc409fab4 horses.f6463df8b5bc90bd

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However, the horse 56456d3123 in front of b2df3e3cfd me was slightly b382cca425 shorter than me, 71c93c0e6f and most importantly, 306dad2d1f its whole body 6817922ebb was covered in dcb5a446d2 fluffy fur. Its eyes, hidden beneath b10e453917 its caramel-colored fur coat, 5df57dcb6c were also caramel-colored.9568572bc4266fb2

“Isn’t it a foal? Is it alright for me to ride such a small horse?”058f5d0bea47d0f8

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“Haha, no. It’s just a small breed but it’s fully grown.”36c47d0496217540

The stablehand said, d18422da7a stroking the mane 5709d8c41b of the unsaddled 744218e212 horse.078543c85d909697

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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.”cb9b6ca1fc296849

Perhaps because bcb839e6b0 of its a17de5ac9b small size, 06321cb109 it resembled 034ea3de83 a large 95b41ab716 dog or 27f25280cb cat. As I hesitantly looked 5d7c0e92df at the horse, the d86e1ef769 riding instructor approached and f5b1ac9963 said,0f955197010cc970

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“Would you like to pet it?”278f8791b026df90

At his suggestion, I f76052fb0c slowly reached out my 3f2428eaab hand. The horse, unfazed db16675510 by the touch 0365d47145 of a stranger, 020befcf99 closed its eyes e92d2234b6 as if enjoying e151f54368 it. I immediately dfd8cd0f82 took a 49b43ae151 liking to ab76ad2a9f the horse.448f1121d7c81bc6

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“What’s this horse’s name?”8d292f7e38d9e989

“This one…”fdde3fef1369ccb9

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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.”621b75a5494b8c96

The riding instructor 4247155021 cut in before 5a290be577 the stablehand could fcdaee1255 answer.843baa3b425adbf6

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“It will bond with you much faster if you give it a name.”709f0ac141d2c0e2

He seemed right. As I stroked the 1c06de4b47 horse, I noticed the 105ff13cdc inside of its ears a7770e6f1e were white, around the ae7d676fd0 edges. The fur 305a00f444 around her 9a00502206 muzzle lightened 0bc57b792b to a b88362fe57 pale white, 71b2f48427 making it a35d9c2435 look as 7326f132a3 if it 98f247ad9e had just 157cef03d9 stuck her 6b52bd4790 nose in 873fe7d53e a pile 55055de0f3 of flour.284ea2676f0476e6

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It was strange 8378e80de8 how easily people’s 3141e88a30 hearts could change. 4b9bdbac6a1d45b6

Just before 61dbbc2619 meeting this f2eeb68d04 horse before 2920541138 me, I 5e2bfbfb71 had dreaded 0f77e39d50 riding. I had 96eff83dfa thought it e15556e7d5 would be 3ea8557345 tedious and 57951a6719 horrible, and 789d17bdc8 that connecting ebae4273b1 with a 00cbdc0a83 horse seemed c8e6f37f5b impossible. Before this, horses had 3faa273e2e been nothing more than 02811a2997 a means of transportation. But now, looking at 338d42b83a this horse, I felt 68541ffe8f like I could read 533cb368a7 its mind.7b296a854e870197

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“Let’s call you Brulee.”be3d5bf8afb767b5

Horseback riding was 041ff9ac45 much more difficult 79d3e3f5ef exercise than running. 013f828133e82371

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Brulee was the 9cc654201f one running, but 14e29c426c just sitting on 09d2468d48 her back for fa2d804006 the time it 222f7362a0 takes to drink 1d7dde1c45 a cup of d596314e9a tea made my e9707d1e08 whole body tremble f7211c9eba and I was 121d5f9f8e drenched in sweat. I had been greatly b42c6df238 mistaken in thinking that f52184fe33 running had improved my 7b3621c04a stamina.62b9977dcf72cd47

“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.”aab32c407d13fde6

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Of course, that was f2ef10f723 easier said than done. Unlike running, which only 501e2001e8 required moving your two 8308565acc legs, horseback riding involved c1ed00dd39 coordinating so many different be96f62d48 parts of your body.36e71974e50e763e

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. e62e9b2448d6313d

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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.78780de5e592d858

Concentrating on 05062d39bb these unfamiliar 97010ea9e8 movements left 2da1c3fcfd no room e31c601676 for other 10042bfaef distracting thoughts 6c6b843b78 in my 74f28d1579 mind. When I 3d7f69ba2e got off 23c4ed4ef0 the horse, 1ebb1ac692 my whole f64408299e body was 3f75f0dec1 shaking.5d417edccb87a832

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“Don’t forget to pat the horse’s neck and praise it after riding.”dfe6f70d8cdb2e3c

I stroked Brulee’s neck and said, “Good girl.”291771dc9102b7e2

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“See you tomorrow.”34fc2ca6e44b0221

And so, Brulee became 803a1fad41 my horse.c10bee920acf4ea1

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‘I believe horses are more loyal than dogs. You’ll soon grow fond of them.’328795865960c32c

The Duke’s words, though annoying, were true.1cdec03154cf4a56

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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.a56aea8c811c6bd9

Even outside 2c8a439b3b of riding 2f1d91d1ce lessons, I c8ed4678ae often visited e61ff6e22e the stable a6cd213d65 to see 8e7bc337a6 Brulee whenever 31c6c5fc4c I had 64363d0617 time. Brulee also liked 5302af84b7 me, perking up b48e5b599a her ears whenever a7feaac19a I appeared. 55d1c29178cdf52a

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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.1c6d41ed8ff52402

As my bond b6a7496ccd with Brulee grew, 11ea2915e5 I became deeply 3543480d53 interested in horseback 963a1f2768 riding. I, who had e731601ada initially struggled even c64e7477a1 with walking, could e94d45f31c now ride Brulee 076f26c215 at a canter. When I rode Brulee, ccfa096c95 it felt like we 6391917a7e were the only two 1e46834947 beings in the world.9a5d577c109d4aaa

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“You are now c4ac99d256 skilled enough to 08f9c9df89 go on an 3226b4fb8c outdoor ride.”a70587512b4d3ad8

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.4928a0c4ba79bbd0

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