The Storyteller

The Storyteller Part 3 chapters 7 - 9

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE POND

While Raif and Willow were having their rather tense conversation Lyrra, delirious with delight, was preparing for her first ride on her first horse. She stripped off her shorts and went to get a pair of linen trousers. With the trousers in her hands she suddenly thought of what Raif had said about regretting to have her change out of shorts . Did it mean that he liked looking at her legs? She couldn't think of any other explanation and blushed as she thought about it. She realized she had been wanting him to look at her as a grown up not a child; but did she want him to look at her as a woman? That could complicate things, but it felt rather exciting too.

Not wanting to waste time, she finished dressing and rushed to get her saddle blanket. As she walked out the door into the yard she passed her mother coming in. "I'm going riding with Colonel Raif" she said "On my horse to try my new saddle." Her smile was so bright that her mother couldn't say anything but "Be careful". As that's something mothers always say, Lyrra didn't wonder anything about it.

Out in the yard, Raif had finished saddling his horse and was waiting for her. He helped her lift the saddle onto the horse and adjust the strap under the horse's belly to hold it firmly. He lengthened one of the stirrups so she could put her foot in it and hoist herself up. Once she was securely seated on the saddle he showed her how to adjust the stirrups to best suit her.

As soon as he was finished Lyrra took the reins in her hands, kicking the horse to movement. She headed out of the yard before Raif could mount his horse. Once outside, she urged the horse into a canter and, feeling safe with that, started to gallop. She was astonished at the speed and had to hold on tight.

Worrying that it would be too humiliating to fall off, she reined the horse back to a canter and then to a walk as she heard the pounding of hooves behind her as Raif galloped to catch up.

Once he was alongside he slowed to match her pace. "I would have advised getting used to your mount more slowly, but at least you stayed on this time!"

Feeling too happy to respond to the teasing Lyrra just poked her tongue at him and laughed. They rode together in a companionable silence for a while.

"Have you chosen a name for her yet?" Raif asked.

"As a matter of fact I have been thinking about it" Lyrra replied "I haven't finally chosen what I will call her. "Socks" seems too obvious. At the moment it's between "Gift" and "Surprise". What do you think?"

"Your horse, your choice" was all that Raif offered. He looked at her as she sat on her horse. She rode well, and he made a promise to himself not to tease her ever again about her fall. He understood now that, even if she was a young woman she was, as Willow had emphasized, still young and could be hurt with words more easily than an older person.

Bored with walking, Lyrra kicked her horse into a canter. "See if you can catch me" she called out over her shoulder and urged her horse to a gallop. Raif set off after her, making sure not to catch up but be close enough if she needed help.

After a while they rode over the crest of a small hill. In the hollow the other side there was a pond. The still water reflected the blue of the sky. A pair of small wading birds, startled by the intrusion, flew across the water, their long legs trailing, as they piped in protest. Safely on the other side of the pond the birds landed and went back to probing in the mud for their dinner.

Lyrra reined in her horse. "Oh" she said, with delight in her voice, "They used to bring us here in a cart for swimming and dinner on hot days like this."

Jumping off her horse she kicked off her shoes, rolled up her pants and waded into the water. "It's great. You should come too" she said to Raif. He just laughed, dismounted, and tied the two horses to one of the small trees that bordered the pond. Then he sat watching the girl.